Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel Reopens After Cyberattack

Jackpot Junction, a tribal casino located in Morton, Minnesota, was the victim of a cyberattack that shuttered the gaming facility for eight days before reopening.

Cyberstruck

Nearly 1,200 slot machines, along with bingo games and online hotel reservations, were shut down on April 3rd due to a cyberattack by what has been speculated to be a criminal Russian enterprise. Table games were unaffected, but many of the restaurants closed due to a lack of business.

A statement on the casino’s website stated, “As of April 3, slot machines are currently unavailable. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will provide updates as they are available.”

A spokesperson for Jackpot Junction reported that the casino had “identified a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain systems.” The statement proceeded to say that the tribe had engaged “third-party experts” to resolve the issue.

The facility is owned by the Lower Sioux Indian Community and has been operating as a fully licensed casino since 1988. However, this is the first known cyberattack on the venue, but on Friday, April 11th, the operators announced the following on Facebook:

“Welcome back! We missed you! There’s a seat with your name on it — time to spin and win again!”

“As a heartfelt thank you for your patience and support, all Rewards Club members will receive special tiered Free Play to celebrate our return and show our appreciation,” the sign explained. Free plays must be redeemed by April 30th.

Casinos Have Become Targets

Criminal cyber hackers go where the money is; therefore, it is not surprising that financial institutions and other businesses that deal in large volumes of cash, like casinos, are a natural target of these organizations.

According to cybersecurity experts, a group called RansomHub has become particularly malicious and uses “a special type of malware designed to terminate, blind, or crash the security product installed on a victim’s system, typically by abusing a vulnerable driver.”

The most noteworthy cyberattacks on major casinos occurred in September 2023, when Las Vegas Strip properties Caesars and MGM Resorts were targeted and forced to temporarily shut down.

Oftentimes, an employee is deceived by someone on the other end of a telephone call, text exchange, or digital chat by a bad actor seeking a password or some form of information that will allow them access to the site’s online platform.

“People can be the weakest link,” said Scott Melnick, vice president of gaming security at AGS, a Las Vegas-based gaming equipment manufacturer.

The cyber-attackers’ endgame is to compromise the systems, steal personal data belonging to the entity’s customers, and extort the company to pay a ransom before releasing the data back to the victim.

Ironically, the hackers almost always bargain in good faith because once the ransom is paid, they want future victims to know there is a way out as long as they negotiate with them.

Tribal casinos saw an onslaught of cyberattacks in 2024. Five Kewadin Casinos owned by the Sault Tribe in Michigan were attacked, as were Washington State’s Swinomish Casino, Tucson’s Casino del Sol, and the Indigo Sky and Outpost casinos in Oklahoma.