A local news outlet in Las Vegas broke the news on Monday, owing to the numerous complaints filed by the customers of MGM business. According to the reports, some complaints were in regards to the ATMs at affiliated hotels and casinos that did not appear to be functioning. Others claimed that their hotel room keys failed to function; while some noted that bars and restaurants inside MGM complexes had abruptly closed. Meanwhile, the official website of MGM also clearly is not functioning like it should.
To put a halt to further speculations, MGM published a short statement mentioning that the organization has in fact been a victim of an undisclosed “cybersecurity issue.” According to The Associated Press, computer failures related to this problem appear to be affecting MGM properties all across the country, including in Vegas and far-flung locations like Mississippi, Ohio, Michigan, and significant portions of the northeast.
The statement posted by MGM to X (previously Twitter) reads: “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.”
Later, the company acknowledged being the victim of a "cyberattack" and said the attack was disrupting some of its computer systems, in a statement shared with Bloomberg. However, it is still unclear exactly what kind of attack has disrupted their functioning. Apparently, ransomware would be the most likely suspect in this situation.
While casinos are not the frequent targets of cyberattacks, such exceptional cases have certainly been known to occur.
It is worth mentioning that a ransomware attack will undoubtedly have a significant impact on MGM's business operations, taking into account that the company is not just some casino supplier, but rather a giant corporate empire with many interconnected enterprises. Further information in regards to the issue awaits, along with its customary in situations involving "cyber incidents," to determine the exact details on the MGM issues.
