AGA CEO: Cyberattacks against the industry a “cat and mouse game”
Bill Miller champions sector’s ability to fend off attempted hacks but says industry is no different to the rest of corporate America following MGM and Caesars attacks
American Gaming Association (AGA) CEO Bill Miller has described the industry’s battle with cyberattacks as a “cat and mouse game”.
Speaking to Fantini Research ahead of G2E in Las Vegas, Miller was questioned on the gambling sector’s ability to stand up to cybersecurity issues.
The questioning comes following a series of cyberattacks in the US market, namely on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.
The hacks, which took place last month, saw MGM’s land-based operations immobilised, with the firm noting an expected $100m adjusted property EBITDA Q3 hit as a result.
The fallout from the attacks continues, with the Nevada regulator having called for answers into the process and both operators being hit with class-action lawsuits.
When asked how the industry could better protect itself from cyberattacks, Miller said the sector was “very strong” but not immune to future hacks.
He said: “Businesses and governments are racing against people who are bad. And people that are bad are smart. The people who are trying to steal data are looking to do that at the highest levels of government.
“Corporations are routinely being held up by hackers and asked to [comply with] ransom demands in order to not have data pushed out onto the dark web. Our industry is no different from the Pentagon or other entities within corporate America,” he added.
However, Miller did champion the industry’s capabilities to face off against cyberattacks.
He continued: “I will say our industry is very heavy in the tech space and in the protection of data because of how we are regulated. This industry is paying attention to those sorts of things. What you hear is we are a model industry as it relates to AML and those sorts of things.
“When you get to breaches; our industry is very strong in the space but we’re not immune to those sorts of situations that other businesses have found themselves in.”