Cascades Casino Chatham is the latest property in Ontario to renew operations this week, informs Gateway Casinos and Entertainment. Over two weeks ago the operator closed down all 14 of its locations in the province, but now the issue has been resolved. On Monday, the company kicked off its phased reopening plan of opening one site at a time.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is a prominent company that manages gaming facilities throughout Canada. With a presence in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, the company operates a total of 31 locations. Its operations provide jobs for more than 7,000 individuals, and its gaming floors boast an impressive selection of 369 table games and 14,284 slot machines. But it was recently plagued by a cyber-attack issue.
Returning to Normal
On Wednesday morning, Cascades Casino Chatham restarted operations after a two weeks downtime due to the cyber-attack. Director of Communications for the operator, Robert Mitchell said the company received a notice of ransomware and it was unsure who was on the other side of the threat and of the severity of the risk, so it suspended operations to resolve the issue.
Last weekend, the leading operator of land-based amenities started its phased reopening plan and now several of its Ontario sites are up and running and welcoming guests. On Wednesday, besides at Chatham, the company restarted work at Playtime Casino Hanover, Gateway Casinos Sarnia, and Starlight Casino Point Edward, meaning that nine of its 14 locations are now back to work.
Mr. Mitchell explained that patrons have no reason to worry about any ramifications and said that there was no evidence that customers’ personal information has been leaked or employees or vendors. It is also worth mentioning that Woodstock and Clinton have also renewed work, but a day before that, as they allow patrons back on Tuesday.
Experts say the two-week closure would cost the company a couple of million dollars, but this would also hurt the hosting municipalities, as they receive a portion of the revenue. Usually, Chatham-Kent receives approximately CA$400,000 every quarter from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for being one of the many host communities across the province.
Tech expert, Carmi Levy has also shared a few words on the incident. He noted that such cyber-attacks cannot be avoided and that Gateway is the latest to fall victim to one. Mr. Levy elaborated that data could have been leaked and advised patrons to check their bank accounts for unusual activity while also changing their passwords.
Royalty Program Returns
At the start of April 2023, the gaming leader confirmed the return of its My Club Rewards royalty program across casino properties in Ontario. Customers can now play and earn points at the operator’s locations and redeem them in exchange for premium rewards at Casino Rama. Some of the newly added prizes include hotel stays, spa retreats, cruises, concerts, and more.
Source: Garton, Rich “Cascades Casino in Chatham reopens following cyberattack” CTV News Windsor, May 3, 2023
