Major Cyberattack Hits MGM Resorts, Causing System Failures Across Las Vegas Strip Casinos
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In what is being described as a significant security breach, hackers reportedly gained access to MGM Resorts systems setback, causing chaos throughout MGM casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. According to sources, MGM Resorts in in the middle of a potentially serious security breach stemming from a substantial cyberattack. The incident, which started last night, has caused sweeping system outages affecting operations across several Las Vegas Strip casinos owned by MGM Resorts.
At first MGM Resorts attempted to tell the public that this was routine maintenance of the digital keys systems, but around 7PM on Sunday night guests started reporting systemwide outages and Bellagio, MGM Grand and number of other Strip casinos. By 9PM most payment systems were down, digital room keys stopped working, and slot machines started to go down. This morning at 8:27 AM, MGM Resorts finally admitted they were in fact in the middle of a major cyber attack.
Guests at properties including the iconic Aria, Bellagio, Luxor, MGM Grand, and Mandalay Bay, have reported extensive issues, from being unable to use ATM and credit card machines to digital room keys being rendered nonfunctional. The outage has also disrupted slot machines and other electronic systems, forcing restaurants to switch to cash-only transactions, with room charges being momentarily suspended.
A number of guests at MGM Resorts Hotels across the strip have contacted us saying they have been completely locked out of their rooms and their key cards have stopped working. Others told us that their tickets were stuck in slot machines, without any way to redeem their money.
The company’s online platform has not been spared; the MGM Resorts website is currently experiencing interruptions, affecting all its Las Vegas resorts. As a workaround, the resort is urging guests to place calls for reservations or concierge services. Reports suggest that the breakdown extends far beyond Las Vegas, affecting MGM properties across different states, including MGM Springfield in Massachusetts and Empire City Casino in New York, whose websites are presently offline.
A source in executive leadership told us that the outage is a large-scale problem impacting all MGM properties, even those outside Las Vegas. They told us that “this is an issue they fear may take days to fully resolve”. The full extent of the cyberattack remains a mystery, including whether any data has been stolen from MGM’s systems.
Cyber Security experts say this incident raises serous concerns over the safety and security of the guests’ personal information. The concern is heightened by MGM’s past encounters with cyber threats; just last year, a massive breach resulted in the leak of personal details of over 140 million guests on Telegram, encompassing sensitive data, including passport and driver’s license numbers. Both the MGM Resorts player database PATRON and the hotel database OPERA were compromised during that cyber attack.
In a statement, MGM Resorts said the company “notified law enforcement and took prompt action to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems.”
