Cyber Security Threat Causes Temporary System Shutdown at MGM Grand Detroit Casino

In a quick response to a large-scale cyber security attack, MGM Grand Detroit has shut down all its computer systems across the United States. Credible sources revealed that MGM Resorts was informed of cyber security issues within its issues which caused it to temporarily suspend all online operations. The company’s website is currently inaccessible and, at the time of writing this news item, displays the following message:

“The MGM Grand Detroit website is currently unavailable. For immediate assistance, please call 877.888.2121. Thank you for your patience.”

Representatives of MGM Resorts in a press statement mentioned that the company is currently investigating the issue and has involved law enforcement.

While MGM Grand Detroit has failed to respond to emails or phone calls from major news outlets, a source at Motor City Casino confirmed that the casino floor was open. This suggests that the security issue was contained within the online systems and does not seem to be affecting retail gambling.

In a statement issued on Monday, the 9/11 anniversary, MGM Resorts revealed the following:
“MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the Company’s systems. Promptly after detecting the issue, we quickly began an investigation with assistance from leading external cybersecurity experts. We also notified law enforcement and took prompt action to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems. Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to determine the nature and scope of the matter.”

Further questions and findings show that the issue affects all aspects of the company’s online operations and is not limited to hotel and gambling activities. Company email, online hotel reservations and internal communication systems are also non-functional. In all this, BetMGM Casino MI remains functional as it runs on a separate system.

The news of MGM’s temporary online shutdown has spread like wildfire on social media, especially Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). But here’s the twist: MGM is not the only company affected. Borgata casino in New Jersey is also facing a similar problem. The Atlantic City resort is also closing down online operations. Customers on X revealed that the slot machines are not functioning, and neither are POS terminals and ATMs.

This is not the first time a big casino is experiencing a cyber-attack. Gateway Casinos in Canada experienced a cybersecurity incident in April 2023. This caused the company to shut down the entire IT behind its Ontario casinos for two weeks. Similarly, in 2020, two Las Vegas casinos were attacked by ransomware planted in their systems by a foreign hacker.

So, cyber-attacks are not new, but they hold significant implications for affected casinos. These gambling platforms process millions of dollars daily on its computer systems. If threatened by malware, casinos risk losing millions of dollars as well as the private information of customers and other proprietary data.

Casinos are not only susceptible to security issues online, but they bear such risks even in their physical outlets. Recently, Four Winds Casino was caught in a  cash cage scam  that led to the disappearance of $700K. In more recent events, a Gun Lake Casino employee working in Allegan County has admitted to stealing $84,564 from cash out machines.

The employee, Jordan Lewis Cook had been clearing out jams in cash-out machines that occurred as a result of wrinkled cash notes. However, instead of returning them into casino coffers, Cook was keeping a part of the money for himself. This continued for 14 months, with Cook confessing to taking cash on 32 different occasions between September 2021 and November last year.

Stealing from an Indian Tribal Organization is a federal crime which is punishable by a $250,000 fine or up to five years in prison. On Friday, Judge Ray Kent, a federal magistrate in the US Western District of Michigan Court accepted Cook’s written plea agreement. Cook has been indicted since March but will not be sentenced until January.

Gun Lake Casino is the retail partner of betParx Casino Michigan and is owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi in Michigan.