MGM cyberattack investigated by FBI: Las Vegas hotel computer systems, including digital keys for the Bellagio’s 3,933 rooms and slot machines at the ARIA casino, hit by hackers
- The FBI investigates an attack on MGM Resorts International Hotels
- Digital keys at the Bellagio and slot machines at the ARIA were hit by hackers
The FBI is investigating a cyberattack that caused chaos at several Las Vegas resorts, leaving guests at the iconic Bellagio unable to enter its 3,933 rooms and leaving the ARIA casino completely empty as slot machines malfunctioned.
MGM Resorts International hotels, with approximately 48,000 rooms on The Strip, including Mandalay Bay, the Bellagio, Luxor and MGM Grand, were hit by the attack on Monday.
The outage, first discovered on Sunday evening, affected company emails, reservations, room keys and casino gaming machines.
The company said in a statement Monday: “MGM Resorts recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company’s systems.
“Immediately after discovering the issue, we quickly launched an investigation with the assistance of leading external cybersecurity experts.
“We also notified law enforcement and took immediate action to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems. Our investigation is ongoing and we are working hard to determine the nature and extent of the case.”
A cyberattack that left guests with defective door locks, inoperable slot machines and locked reservation and email systems at several major Las Vegas hotels is under investigation by the FBI
MGM Resorts International hotels, with approximately 48,000 rooms on The Strip, including Mandalay Bay, the Bellagio, Luxor and MGM Grand, were hit by the attack on Monday
This was said by a concierge at the iconic Bellagio hotel NBC News 3 the entire system was paralyzed ‘internally and externally’.
At approximately 8 p.m., MGM resorts issued a statement saying the casino gaming floors were operational while they continued to resolve the problem. Knv reported.
Guests at MGM hotels took to social media to address the situation, with many saying they were unable to get into their rooms.
Footage filmed at the ARIA casino shows machines offline across the floor as memes erupt on the internet about the attack, similar to the popular 2001 film Ocean’s 11.
MGM is the largest employer in Nevada and owns the most casinos on the Strip.
The company’s website was also down during the attack, directing potential guests to call for a reservation.
Guests at MGM properties took to social media to address the situation
ATMs and credit card machines were also out of order, with restaurants on the premises only taking cash and room charges had stopped.
Guests told us 8NewsNow that they were locked out of their room on Sunday evening and could not buy food due to the system outages.
Some have claimed that they were unable to claim their ticket and cash out after playing the casino’s slot machines.
The outage also appeared to affect MGM properties outside Vegas, including the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Mississippi-based Biloxi.
MGM was hacked in 2020, with a reported 142 million guests affected.
Among the people involved in the breach were Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Justin Bieber.
ZDNet verified that no financial information was included in the breach, which consisted mainly of “contact information such as names, postal addresses and email addresses,” according to an MGM spokesperson.