Considering that casinos facilitate cash-sensitive transactions, they can often become targets of different criminals. While some may attempt different fraudulent activities, others try to rob such venues. This is precisely the reason why many brick and mortar casinos invest heavily in security personnel, surveillance and some even leverage AI solutions.

Earlier this week, a brazen robbery at Porto Cupe-Coy casino in Sint Maarten, a Caribbean Island that is a constituent country of the Netherlands, resulted in the theft of an undisclosed amount of money. The incident, according to the Police Force of Sint Maarten, Korps Politie Sint Maarten (KPSM), dates to the early hours of Wednesday, January 24, 2024.

According to law enforcement, an investigation into the armed robbery is ongoing. Police are doing everything they can to collect more evidence to help identify, apprehend and punish the three individuals who engaged in the unlawful activity. KPSM confirmed that witnesses or anyone who has information regarding the robbery can submit an anonymous tip either via calling its hotline or leaving a Facebook message.

“The investigation into this armed robbery is currently underway. KPSM is actively working to gather evidence, interview witnesses to identify and apprehend the suspects,“

reads a statement released by the Police Force of Sint Maarten

Investigation into the Robbery Continues

Describing the incident, law enforcement confirmed multiple reports about an ongoing armed robbery were received on January 24 at around 1:30 AM. Not unexpectedly, police responded immediately by dispatching a number of detectives, patrols and forensics teams at the local casino. A preliminary investigation of the case identified three culprits who were wearing masks and dark clothes.

The robbers were equipped with guns and threatened the security guards at the casino’s entrance. After that, the culprits stormed into the venue and robbed it. Police did not confirm how long the robbery took. Once done, the three masked robbers left the casino on foot. So far, KPSM believes that the three robbery suspects headed toward the French side of the island.

Police haven’t confirmed whether anyone was injured during the robbery. The amount of the stolen money has also not been disclosed at the time of writing.

The post Sint Maarten: Armed Robbers Attack Porto Cupe-Coy Casino appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Unfortunately, not all convicts take their sentences lightly. Deobra Delone Redden, 30, certainly didn’t, instead opting to assault the judge who denied him bail.

Redden was being sentenced for an earlier assault attempt where he assaulted another person with a baseball bat. He pled guilty to having caused substantial injuries in that case in November.

During the recent sentencing in Las Vegas, Redden said that he didn’t believe his crime was serious enough to warrant a prison sentence. However, he acknowledged that the judge has the final say in that matter.

Redden quickly contradicted himself as when Clark County District Judge Mary Kay Holthus handed him a prison sentence without probation, he exploded. Shouting “Oh, fuck that bitch,” Redden charged the judge and leaped across her desk.

The judge tried to move out of the way but was too slow and was taken down by the violent attacker. She was punched several times while on the ground. Other people in the courtroom, including a marshal and a law clerk, tried to help Holthus. Unfortunately, the marshal ended up with a wound on his forehead and a dislocated shoulder and had to be hospitalized.

Holthus was also injured although her injuries did not require immediate treatment.

There Will Be Consequences, Attorneys Say

The matter was later addressed by the Las Vegas District Court. Representatives praised everyone who rushed in to help Holthus and participated in the apprehension of the defendant. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, meanwhile, condemned the violent behavior and noted that it will surely have consequences.

Speaking of consequences, Redden was transported to the Clark County Detention Center and slammed with two new charges because of his attacks. According to local news outlets, the man is now being accused of battery and battery of a protected person.

As it turns out, the alleged baseball bat assault and the attack on Holthus are not Redden’s first violent outbursts. The man previously served a sentence in Nevada after being convicted of domestic battery.

The post Judge Hurt, Marshal Hospitalized after Vegas Defendant’s Violent Attack appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Last year, a Massachusetts woman had to drop out of a Super Bingo tournament in Las Vegas because of a heart attack. A year later, she returned to settle the score, taking back $50,000 home.

The woman, identified as Pam, couldn’t wrap up her run at the bingo tournament at Plaza Hotel & Casino last year. While competing, she suddenly felt chest pain and had to be hospitalized. Rushed to Valley Hospital, the woman was diagnosed with a heart attack.

Luckily, Pam got better and, a year later, returned to Las Vegas for another go at the tournament she had to drop out from previously. Her luck turned around this time, as she won $50,000 from the event.

Plaza Hotel & Casino shared that this was the fourth time the woman has taken part in the October Super Bingo tournament.

The Massachusetts woman refused to disclose her full name. However, she can be seen rejoicing at her win on a video from the event. The video also highlights the scope of the event, which, for reference, attracted over a thousand people.

Plaza Hotel & Casino Continues to Host Exciting Bingo Events

The Super Bingo tournaments are a staple at the resort, with the next one set to take place from November 27 to 29.

This year’s schedule was announced in March, revealing what players can expect. The casino resort kicked off the new bingo season with a $160,000 event in April that featured nineteen $1,199 games and a $50,000 coverall on both days of the event.

Because of the popularity of these events, Plaza Hotel & Casino decided to host one each month after, excluding July and December. The upcoming event in November will therefore be the last Super Bingo tournament for 2023.

Players can learn more about these events and the signup packages on Plaza Hotel & Casino’s official website.

Speaking of bingo, the Arizona bingo situation recently heated up amid ongoing investigations from the government. Backed by veteran organizations, bingo proponents accused the government of trying to aggressively crack down on bingo technological aids – electronic bingo cards that make it easier for disabled players to enjoy bingo.

However, the government claims that it only sought to crack down on predatory illegal machines in hopes of protecting consumers in the state. Spokespeople explained that they are not trying to ban BTAs but rather identify illegal slots-like bingo machines.

The post Woman Wins $50,000 a Year after Missing Bingo Event Because of Heart Attack appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Several days ago, MGM Resorts International was hit by an unprecedented cybersecurity issue, forcing it to shut down multiple computers and temporarily shut down its official website. Believed to be a cyberattack, the issue affected the casino and hospitality giant’s business in multiple states.

Following reports about an earlier cyberattack on Caesars Entertainment, another casino juggernaut, people familiar with the matter claimed that the cyberattack on MGM Resorts had been initiated by the same group.

Sources identified the wrongdoers as the Scattered Spider group, a notorious team of cybercriminals, believed by experts to be comprised of tech-savvy young people. Currently one of the most dangerous hacker groups in the United States, the Scattered Spider group cleverly uses social engineering to get hold of users’ login credentials and OTP codes.

The efficacy of this tactic has resulted in multiple successful cyberattacks, disrupting companies’ business.

MGM Prepares for Material Losses

MGM Resorts earlier admitted that the incident carries a significant material risk to the company. This was reflected in the company’s share price. Currently trading at a price of $41.47 per share, MGM’s stock has been on the decline since the first news of the incident.

In addition, the shutdown of multiple corporate emails, sites and booking systems is likely to incur further losses. Even worse, the shutdowns have caused significant disgruntlement among unhappy MGM Resorts customers who continue to express their worries about their personal data on social media.

Adding to the casino giant’s woes, Moody’s, an influential credit rating agency, noted that the recent attack is likely to affect MGM’s credit rating negatively because of the underlying security weaknesses.  

While MGM refused to comment on Moody’s warning, the company filed an 8-K report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, warning it about the potential impact of the cyberattack.

In the meantime, reports claim that Caesars Entertainment had been hit by a similar breach several days prior to the MGM Resorts incident. According to people familiar with the matter, Caesars had to pay tens of millions of dollars to the wrongdoers in order to secure its business.

Elsewhere, Stake.com, a leader in online and crypto gambling, recently lost millions of dollars in cryptocurrencies following an attack from another cybercrime group. The FBI later identified the attackers as the Lazarus Group, a team of hackers with ties to North Korea.

The post Scattered Spider Behind MGM Attack, Company Prepares for Material Risks appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Canada’s Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd. has officially confirmed that the company has been the subject of a cyberattack. All 14 of the company’s casinos in the province of Ontario were shut down starting with Casino Rama Resort which closed on April 16th. The casinos were hit with a ransomware attack that reportedly created an IT outage.

When Casino Ramma was shut down abruptly at about 1 p.m. CDT on Sunday the 16th, the company only said that an IT outage was to blame, not what caused the outage. All gaming operations were shut down with the company statement reading only: “Gateway casino sites across Ontario experienced a system-wide IT outage.”

Restaurants, Hotel Still Open at Casino Rama

The casino’s Instagram feed most recently stated: “Casino Rama Resort’s Hotel, Balance In Life Spa, Weirs, and St. Germain’s restaurants remain open. St. Germain’s is open Wednesday – Sunday.”

Very little more information was meted out over the next several days until Gateway announced the reasoning behind the closures on Friday, nearly a week later. The company now says that it has no knowledge of any confidential or private information being compromised. Investigation of the incident is still underway with many of the firm’s 7,000 employees being idled.

iHeart Radio was reporting on Friday that all casinos would remain shuttered indefinitely while cyber professionals do their work to reassure the integrity of the systems.

The Chris de Burgh concert scheduled for Friday was postponed until April 27. The Quiet Riot, Warrant, and Helix concert scheduled for Saturday was reset to October 7. All tickets purchased through My Club Rewards and Ticketmaster will be valid on the new dates. No mention of refunds was made. The event center st Casino Rama can seat up to 5,000 people.

The Friday announcement confirmed that a criminal breach had occurred and that all of the casinos would remain closed through the weekend at a minimum. As of Sunday evening, no change had been announced.

The company website still stated the following which was initially posted on Friday, April 21: “Gateway Casinos and Entertainment locations in Ontario will remain closed through the coming weekend as we continue to work on resolving a cybersecurity incident and put in place the plans for reopening at each location. While we cannot confirm a re-opening date at this time, we continue to work with all relevant parties to do everything we can to restore our IT systems, reopen our sites, and get our employees back to work.”

Not all cash has stopped flowing for the company however as 15 other casinos in different provinces remain open.

Catalyst Capital Group is the company’s majority stockholder and gateway manages the gaming venues for the respective provincial governments where they operate, sharing revenues with them which is used for the common good.

The company announcement also stated: “We want to reiterate that we have notified the relevant privacy officials, law enforcement, and government regulators about the cyber incident.”

30 Year History in Canada

Last year, Gateway celebrated 30 years of participation in the gaming and entertainment business in Canada. Casino Rama opened on July 31, 1996, and remained open continuously until forced to shutter operations during the world health emergency in 2020.

The company said it is working “with third-party experts” around the clock 7 days per week “to determine if there has been any impact on personal information in this case,”

Oddly enough, just a few days prior to the cyberattack, Global News ran an article warning of the increased risk of Russian cyberattacks on Canada in response to the country’s support of Ukraine. While there is no indication yet that Russian state actors are responsible for the most recent attack on a Canadian business it has been identified as a criminal hacking group and that ransom was demanded. Gateway has not confirmed or denied whether it paid and was hit anyway.

Pro-Russian groups have taken credit for several recent cyberattacks in Canada, including on Prime Minister Trudeau’s website and the websites of the Port of Québec and Laurentian Bank.

For a listing of all significant cyber attacks on Canadian government institutions and businesses, see the Kon Briefing (here).

Source: Gateway Casinos Confirms Cyberattack on Ontario IT Infrastructure, Casino.org, April 22, 2023

The post A ransomware attack on Gateway casinos in Ontario, CA has seen all 14 shuttered appeared first on Keno Wizard.