Harrah’s Philadelphia Unaffected by the Caesars Rewards Program Hack

Caesars is said to have paid tens of millions of dollars in ransom money in order to stop a hack. However, indications indicate that Caesars Rewards members’ driver’s licenses and Social Security data have been stolen.

Caesars owns and runs Harrah’s Philadelphia, a retail casino in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, Caesars stated that the attack had no effect on their casinos or online betting activities. With sensitive information being transmitted online, security has become increasingly important in the gaming business in recent years. Not long ago, another well-known operator was also subjected to a hack.

Hackers Obtain Personal Information from Caesars Customers

Caesars runs two online platforms, Caesars Palace Casino PA and Tropicana Casino, in addition to their retail PA casino. While the online casinos seem to be unaffected, according to Bloomberg, Caesars is down tens of millions of dollars, and its clients’ personal data has been stolen.

According to Caesars’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) complaint, the hack occurred in late August. Caesars detailed an inquiry done last week in the report. It said:

“As a result of our investigation, we determined on September 7, 2023, that the unauthorized actor acquired a copy of, among other data, our loyalty program database, which includes driver’s license numbers and social security numbers for a significant number of members in the database.”

According to the filing, the investigation into the scope of the incident is still underway. However, Caesars stated that no information such as passwords, bank account details, and credit card data had been obtained.

Though Caesars stated that the act has increased the company’s costs, no exact financial amount has been released. Caesar stated:

“We have incurred, and may continue to incur, certain costs associated with this attack, including costs to respond to, remediate, and investigate this matter.” The full breadth of this incident’s expenses and related repercussions has not been determined, including the extent to which these costs will be mitigated by our cybersecurity insurance or potential indemnification claims against third parties.”

Other Cyberattacks Against Casino Operators in Pennsylvania

Another cyberattack was launched on MGM Resorts. MGM Resorts’ online site, BetMGM PA Casino, looks to be secure. Still, its retail casinos across the country have been impacted. Earlier last week, the business issued the following statement:

“MGM Resorts recently discovered a cybersecurity problem that was affecting some of the company’s systems.” We launched an investigation as soon as we discovered the problems, with the help of prominent external cybersecurity specialists. We also alerted law authorities and took immediate steps to secure our systems and data, including the shutdown of some systems.

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to determine the nature and scope of the matter.”

CNBC reports that MGM Resorts’ corporate email, restaurant reservation, and hotel booking systems are still down. Digital room keys for hotels are also inoperable.

It isn’t the first time cybercriminals have targeted operators. In December 2022, both FanDuel and DraftKings had their internet sportsbooks hacked. BetMGM was also the target of another cyberattack in December. It looked to have escaped the situation unhurt.

Caesars has put itself in debt after paying a ransom. However, things could grow even worse after establishing the seriousness of the attacks on Caesars consumers.