Gateway Casinos Ontario Resumes Operations After Two Weeks

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: May 3, 2023

A cyber attack recently prompted Gateway Casinos, one of Canada’s top gambling businesses, to close the majority of its Ontario facilities. On April 16, the company’s IT department discovered an attack on its computer networks; as a result, the gaming floors in Ontario were promptly shut down. Innisfil, Clinton, London, Sarnia, Woodstock, Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach, Casino Rama Resort, Cascades Casino Chatham, Playtime Casino Hanover, and Starlight Casino Point Edward were among the Gateway casinos that were impacted by the event.

The first building to reopen after briefly closing owing to the cyber incident was Innisfil. Around 1:00 p.m. local time on April 29, more than 1,000 slot machines and 22 table games in Innisfil resumed service. As testing on each casino’s IT infrastructure deems it necessary, Gateway’s 13 additional Ontario casinos will gradually reopen.

Great Canadian Entertainment and Gateway Casinos manage gaming activities on behalf of the Crown corporations and host governments. The resorts’ physical properties belong to the provinces, who lease Gateway and Great Canadian the right to run them. Additionally, casinos in Ontario give the province 20% of their total gross gaming revenue (GGR).

Cyberattack on Gateway’s Computer Networks Caused Uncertainty for Customers and Staff

The recent hack on the Ontario operations of Gateway Casinos is a serious setback for the gaming sector, which has recently seen a significant increase in gaming income. Canada has recently developed into a sizable gaming business, with national GGR reaching more than $3.4 billion in 2021, up 20% from pre-pandemic 2019.

The extent of the intrusion is unknown, and over the last two weeks, Gateway has only offered few updates, keeping customers and staff in the dark about whether their personal information was exposed. Gateway said in a statement issued over the weekend that it is still collaborating with outside specialists 24 hours a day to ascertain whether there has been any damage on personal information in this situation.

Businesses Must Prioritize Cybersecurity

Cybercriminals frequently seek to compromise personal information, despite the fact that the organization currently has no indication that the personal information of its customers or workers has been damaged. Carmi Levy, a technology analyst with expertise in cybersecurity, said that it will take a long time for Gateway Casinos to recover from the cyber outbreak. Levy claims that it is as bad as it gets and that, even if the corporation is able to repair the damage, it will take years to do so. The immediate losses of successfully attacked organizations by cyber might reach millions, tens of millions, or even higher, and many of these businesses never fully recover. These attacks are becoming more frequent, and also affect casinos across the border in the US.

Levy also said that some gamers will avoid the game in the future as a result of the cyberattack. Gateway may be able to reopen its casinos, but that cybercrime will continue as long as the hackers are able to sell the private data they have obtained on the dark web. Businesses must prioritize cybersecurity and establish ways to avoid, identify, and respond to such assaults as they grow more common in today’s digital environment. Additionally, they must make sure that their systems and software are secure and up to date, and they must train their staff on cybersecurity best practices.