Gateway Casinos, a major Canadian gaming and entertainment company, has released an update on its state after the recent cyberattack. Several days ago, the operator’s Ontarian business suffered a devastating security breach. As a result, it was forced to temporarily shut down its properties and reschedule planned events.
The company, which operates 14 venues in the province, announced the emergency shutdown on April 16, blaming what it called an IT outrage. In later updates, the company kept interested parties updated on what was happening, confirming that it had become the target of ransomware attacks.
The fourteen properties that were directly affected by the hackers include the casinos in the following cities:
- Clinton
- Innisfil
- London
- North Bay
- Sarnia
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Sudbury
- Thunder Bay
- Woodstock
While not all Ontarian casinos were directly hit in the attacks, the company shut down all its properties, leading to the temporary closures of Casino Rama Resort, Cascades Casino Chatham, Playtime Casino Hanover, Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach and Starlight Casino Point Edward.
The shutdown of Casino Rama is an especially hard hit for the company, considering that it is one of the most popular gambling destinations in Canada. This left many clients disappointed with the news. However, Gateway Casinos noted that the Casino Rama Hotel and the Weirs restaurant will remain functional in spite of the ongoing situation.
Gateway Casinos’ Comeback Is Looming
Luckily, Gateway Casinos is working hard on recovering its business and, according to one of the latest announcements, will begin reopening its properties very soon. While the planned recovery will go through several stages, Gateway hopes to begin the process this week.
In a recent interview, Rob Mitchell, Gateway’s communications and public affairs director, addressed the matter. He said that the company continues testing its IT systems to see if everything is up to standard. The reopening, according to him, will depend on the results of these tests, as well as on the approval of the relevant regulators.
The ransomware attack likely saw Gateway Casinos extorted for money. Even if that is the case, the casino operator did not disclose the details and didn’t confirm whether it paid a ransom or not.
Ransomware groups usually target big corporate entities such as Gateway Casinos, since many of them would pay the ransom just to get back to business. Gateway Casinos is owned by The Catalyst Capital Group and is one of the most influential gambling companies in Western Canada. It currently employs over 3,000 workers.