On February 9, casinos in Michigan were targeted by a ransomware attack disrupting the operations of at least 5 casinos across the state. The casinos which are run by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians reportedly lost 119GB of user data. The attack is reportedly affecting casinos, convenience stores, and tribal communication centers. The cybercriminal group RansomHub is taking full responsibility for the attack.

Reasons like this are why many residents of Michigan are now opting to wager and play games on online casinos, enjoying the better built-in security and variety that these casinos have to offer. For example, Instant Casino offers a safe and secure place to play your favorite casino games, with a choice of over 5000 games on the platform.

Residents can enjoy a flawless user interface, integration with the Telegram app, and a generous instant casino bonus. Casinos like this also offer cryptocurrency payments which add an extra layer of anonymity and security for players. This limits issues like identity theft, fraud, and malware attacks.

However, as much as online casinos can be safer, they require vigilance on the users’ part and that means choosing reputable platforms, in addition to practicing good digital habits. Reputable online casinos pride themselves on security and safety, which is why the Michigan online casino industry generated a whopping $2.9 billion in revenue in 2024.

This was a record-breaking year for the online gambling market in the state. With a year-on-year increase of 23.8%, it cements Michigan state as a hotspot for online gambling. However, all hope is not lost as land-based casinos across the state continue to thrive. Three Detroit land-based casinos reported a revenue of 1.3 billion in 2024.

Things are looking tricky however for the five land-based casinos that are still offline following the Ransomware attack a few weeks back. A ransomware attack holds hostage sensitive data until a ransom is paid. The attack locked critical systems and led to the loss of at least 501,211 files according to RansomHub.

It affected Kewadin’s five locations in the Upper Peninsula; Manistique, Hessel, St. Ignace, Christmas, and Sault Ste. Marie. The hotels remain open to current guests however no new guests can be booked in. The tribe is also unable to access computer systems and central phone lines.

The tribe is not only facing lost revenue from their establishments, they have been forced to cancel all of their events across the premises. They are working hard to keep essential services live for members. In a statement to the press Tribal Chairman Austin Lowes said that he expects the tribe to continue operations for another week or so–although operational capacity is expected to be severely limited.

The tribe has engaged with third-party experts to restore gaming functions and investigate the data security event. The tribe has managed to establish new phone numbers, but operations are still likely to remain limited for at least another 7 days.

RansomHub is a well-known cybercriminal group that has taken full credit for the attack on its website. The group said they have made attempts to contact the tribe and have received no response. They are now threatening to release the data if they can not agree with the operators. The attack has deeply affected all of their gaming systems from slot machines to their online gaming website. There are currently huge delays with customer service and issues with all payment processing.

An attack like this can severely impact the revenue stream of a land-based casino, which relies on income every minute of operation. This may also hamper the reputation not only of these 5 casinos but of land-based casinos throughout the state. Many loyal customers are worried about their data, financial transactions, and other personal information they have shared.