Gambling tech vendor’s IT systems impacted by cyberattack

Dive Brief:

• International Game Technology’s internal IT systems and applications were disrupted by a cyberattack, the global gambling technology vendor said in a Tuesday securities filing.
• The U.K.-based company, which makes slot machines and gambling technology for lottery and sports betting operations, proactively took certain systems offline upon discovering the intrusion on Nov. 17.
• International Game Technology did not describe the nature of the attack or the extent of disruption caused by its response and recovery efforts. Cybersecurity Dive was unable to reach the company through its general media phone line, and contacts for global communications and investor relations resulted in errors. 

Dive Insight:

International Game Technology said it is communicating with customers and has alternatives for certain operations in place to maintain business continuity and mitigate disruptions.

“The company’s ongoing investigation and response include efforts to bring its systems back online,” it said in the securities filing. “The company has not yet determined whether this incident is material.”

The cyberattack on a major gambling technology vendor follows a period of heightened malicious activity targeting casinos and their vendors.

The FBI issued a private industry notification last year warning the industry that ransomware threat groups are exploiting vulnerabilities in vendor-controlled remote access systems to gain access to casino servers. That warning followed high-profile ransomware attacks on casino giants MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment in September 2023. 

International Game Technology, which banked $43 million in net income on $587 million in revenue in Q3, is headquartered in London and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The company has about 10,500 employees spanning 100 countries, and maintains multiple production and operating offices in the U.S., including one in Las Vegas.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board declined to comment on if any casino operations are impacted. “As a law enforcement and regulatory agency, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not comment on whether it is, or isn’t, investigating particular persons or entities,” Kirk Hendrick, chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said via email.