A grand total of 14 casinos closed down due to a cyber-attack, and their operator Gateway Casinos and Entertainment it will start reopening them soon. Recently, the gaming leader said that due to the current system-wide issue, it will start renewing operations at its sites in phases. According to a spokesperson from the operator, the reopening should start later this week.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is a leading operator of land-based gaming amenities in Canada as it operates 14 sites in Ontario, 15 in British Columbia, and two in Alberta. But on April 16, 2023, the company announced that it has suffered a cyber-attack causing it to close down all 14 of its gaming establishments in Ontario. No exact reopening date has been set yet.
Gateway’s Update from Monday
In its latest press release, the company’s communications and public affairs director, Rob Mitchell said that the operator was currently testing out IT systems and was working on safely restarting its casino operations in the Province of Ontario. He added that the reopening timeline depended on the success of the ongoing testing process and the approval of the local regulatory bodies.
Previously, the company said it was putting effort with all relevant parties to restore its IT systems, restart casinos, and bring staff back to work. It also reported that it working towards finding out if there has been a leak of personal data. It has also informed privacy officials, law enforcement and government regulators about the ransomware attack.
Paul Burns, chief executive of the Canadian Gaming Association also said a few words on the cyber-incident. He noted that the company has seen a steady return of players to its amenities, but the timing of the attack has been unfortunate. However, he remains optimistic that the company will overcome the issue and patrons will again return to its Ontario properties.
Speaking on the digital incident, tech expert, Carmi Levy, noted that the cyber-attack which led to the closure may have already caused a leak of personal information. In his expert opinion, this is a very likely result in all of the cases and in the operator’s instance as well. He also pointed out that currently, the operator may not be aware of any leak of data.
As mentioned all 14 gaming properties in Ontario which the company oversees the day-to-day operations have been shut down until further notice. In the southwest, it operates sites in Clinton, Chatham, Hanover, Point Edward, Sarnia and Woodstock. Its other properties are based in Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Wasaga Beach, Innisfil and near Orillia.
Royalty Program Restored in Ontario
The news about the cyber-attack comes several weeks after the company announced that its My Club Rewards royalty program has been renewed in the province. With the new and improved version, bettors can now play and collect points at the operator’s properties and redeem them in exchange for a series of premium rewards at Casino Rama.
Source: De Bono, Norman “Gateway plans to reopen shuttered Ontario casinos in stages” The London Free Press, April 23, 2023
