The computer systems that run MGM Resorts International across the U.S. had a “cybersecurity issue” that affected reservations and some casino operations.
The incident, which was not explained, started on Sunday, MGM officials said on Monday. It affected systems at resorts in Las Vegas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and Ohio, The Associated Press reported.
— MGM Resorts (@MGMResortsIntl) September 11, 2023
A cybersecurity professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told The New York Times that a “cybersecurity issue” usually means that someone has attacked a network.
Greg Moody told the newspaper that an attacker or attackers may have “found some gap in their armor.”
The company said the problem was a “cybersecurity issue affecting some of the company systems” and that it is in contact with external cybersecurity experts. MGM shut down some systems to protect data.
“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,” the company said, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The MGM Resorts International website was still down on Tuesday morning, according to a message on the page, which included several telephone numbers to make hotel reservations, buy tickets for shows or sporting events, reach a concierge or check on an MGM Rewards account.
The BetMGM website also had login issues for account holders, the AP reported.
Facebook users reported issues with accessing their hotel rooms and some people said that slot machines were not working, The New York Times reported.
Hotel guests were not able to charge purchases to their rooms, make reservations or use their digital room keys, KNTV reported. The television station also said that several gambling machines at hotels were offline.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the company was also having issues with credit card transactions.
However, MGM Resorts said in a statement that guests can access their rooms and that front desk staff were assisting guests as needed, the Times reported.
The company told the Review-Journal, “Our resorts, including dining, entertainment and gaming are currently operational, and continue to deliver the experiences for which MGM is known,”
The FBI is “aware of the incident,” officials said, adding that the issue is “still ongoing” as of Monday evening, the AP reported.
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