At Borgata, lighter crowds, long phone wait times, and still no comps as casino recovers from cyber attack
Guests who want to cancel or make reservations said they've struggled to contact the hotel. But on-site, some customers say it's almost business as usual.
Jill Ruch tried over and over to get through to the Borgata last week.
She called, sent emails, and checked in with friends who were doing the same.
The retiree had been planning a three-night stay at the resort last weekend, in part to celebrate her husband’s birthday, and she wanted to know whether the massive cyber attack on MGM properties nationwide was still preventing guests from using credit cards and comps.
“I tried the 800 number. I tried the regular number. I just couldn’t get anybody,” Ruch said. “I even tried emailing them. … Nobody ever answered.”
Unsure of the current situation at the Borgata, and knowing the hotel was advertising free cancellation through Sunday, Sept. 24, due to the hack, her group decided to instead go to Parx Casino in Bensalem for a substitute celebration closer to their home in Horsham.
“At least I didn’t have to pack,” Ruch said with a laugh. On Tuesday she was finally able to get through to someone in reservations who assured her she would not be charged for no-showing.
MGM Resorts are still reeling from last week’s ransomware attack, which left some electronic systems at the Borgata and its other U.S. properties disabled for days. MGM has not responded to requests for comment, though did provide answers to some frequently asked questions in a post on its website.
A group known as BlackCat claimed responsibility, Forbes reported. And in the aftermath, it has been revealed that hackers also recently breached Caesars and three other companies in the “manufacturing, retail, and technology space,” Reuters reported, citing the chief security officer of Okta, an identity and access management company.
Caesars Entertainment paid nearly half of the $30 million ransom, according to the Wall Street Journal, and plans to offer free credit-monitoring and identity-theft protection to loyalty club members, despite not yet seeing evidence that the data has been published. Computer systems at Caesars properties, which include Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana in Atlantic City, were not disrupted as they have been at MGM properties.
At the Borgata last Wednesday, it was cash-only at the resort, including on the casino floor and at restaurants, with guests unable to use comps or credit cards. One guest reported difficulty cashing out and concern over whether his spending was being tracked for future rewards. The website, including the hotel reservation system, was down, as were the phone lines.
By Saturday, however, guests said it seemed to be almost business as usual at the resort.
“It was seamless,” said Pam Sedia, who was at the Borgata Saturday night and Sunday. “The only way it affected my experience was I couldn’t use my comp dollars.”
The 60-year-old Bucks County resident has been going to the Borgata regularly for more than a decade, she said, and made it a point to go last weekend in part to support the employees impacted by slower business in the attack’s aftermath.
“You really couldn’t tell that there was anything going on,” said Mike Gagliardi, who arrived at the Borgata Saturday afternoon for a one-night stay. “The staff was really welcoming. They were excited. They were happy to be there.”
Aside from being unable to use comps, the only sign that something was amiss was the lighter-than-usual crowds, said Gagliardi, 41, of Bergen County.
Usually, the check-in line on Saturday afternoon is a dozen people deep, he said, but he could walk right up to the desk this past weekend. He could see his loyalty points accumulating as he played, he added, and it wasn’t difficult getting a seat at a slot machine.
“It seemed like an off night,” he said. “It didn’t seemed like a Saturday night to me.”
He’s not worried about the hackers misusing his personal data, he said, noting that he and his wife keep their credit frozen as a precaution.
But he hopes that the situation at the Borgata is resolved soon.
Gagliardi wanted to make a reservation for this coming weekend, but the online reservation system remained disabled as of Tuesday. He tried calling the reservation number, but couldn’t get through to anyone.