After closing for more than two weeks in the wake of a cyberattack, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of the Chippewa Indians announced on its Facebook page the re-opening of its Kewadin Casinos in the Upper Peninsula.
The Sault St. Marie tribe closed its casino locations on Sunday, Feb. 9 after shutting down its systems in response to the data breach. The tribe released a Facebook post at 10 p.m. that night announcing the closures of gambling facilities.
According to another Facebook post on Tuesday morning, Sault St. Marie tribe is re-opening its five establishments in phases. The following schedule is as follows:
- Kewadin Casino Sault Ste Marie: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 12 p.m.
- Kewadin Casino St. Ignace: Friday, Feb. 28. 12 p.m.
- Kewadin Casinos Manistique, Christmas and Hessel: Monday, March 3, 12 p.m.
Cyberattacks have been on the rise in both the online and retail gambling verticals. The MGCB made a recent decision to mandate two-factor authentication for online operators starting on March 4.
Other casino activities to resume at opening
Kewadin Casinos offer more than just gambling at their facilities. The tribe announced that all other aspects of the casino would resume as normal, according to the Facebook post:
“All casino hotels, restaurants, and entertainment will resume their normal business hours when the casino reopens at the announced time.
“Unless previously cancelled by the guest, all hotel reservations beginning Wednesday at Sault Ste Marie and Friday for St. Ignace are still valid.”
The tribe also said that the phone lines “are open and ready to be answered.” It is expecting a high call volume.
Severity of data breach unknown
Closing down operations for more than two weeks, and three for other properties, must have meant the security breach was significant. However, the severity of it not known. It did not appear that tribe’s Michigan online casino was not affected, which is partnered with Caesars’ brand, Horseshoe.
PlayMichigan attempted to reach out to the Sault St. Marie tribe last week to get an update and to understand the significance. The tribe did not respond for comment.
Sault Tribe Chairman, Austin Lowes, said in statement earlier in the month he hoped to resolve the matter within the week, but he was “prepared for it to last longer.”
There is no word on whether any customer information was at risk, either, or if it just pertained to the tribe’s operation. It did delay the Michigan Gaming Control Board‘s (MGCB) January revenue release by nearly a week.
MGM Grand Detroit experienced a data breach in September 2023, which did involve sensitive customer information, including addresses and drivers license numbers.
Caesars has faced a security breach and currently Rush Street Interactive is facing litigation in Pennsylvania because of customer information was stolen in November.
MGCB mandating two-factor authentication for online operators
Since cyberattacks have been so prominent as of late, the MGCB decided to make all online companies add two-factor authentication for customers logging in. MGCB Public Information Officer, Lisa Keith, told PlayMichigan on Tuesday:
“Implementing MFA will significantly reduce instances of fraud. By adding an extra layer of security, we can help ensure that only authorized individuals can access gaming accounts, thereby minimizing fraudulent activities.”
Despite adding an extra step to log in for gamblers, the MGCB has customers’ safety first of mind. She added:
“With the rise in cyber threats, it is crucial to protect sensitive personal and financial information. MFA provides an additional safeguard, making it much harder for malicious actors to compromise accounts.”
Adding 2FA mitigates credential stuffing and account takeover attacks, which can lead to significant financial damager for customers.
The MGCB, along with online and retail operators, have a duty to protect sensitive customer information.
