Caesars Entertainment says hackers stole customer data as MGM recovers from cyberattack

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS/CNN) — Hackers stole Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers from a “significant number” of loyalty program customers of Caesars Entertainment, the hospitality and casino giant said Thursday.

The disclosure comes as another big casino brand, MGM Resorts, is recovering from its own apparent cyberattack in which guests on Monday reported being unable to make room charges and access their rooms with their digital keys.

MGM Resorts International owns and operates The Borgata in Atlantic City, and Caesars has a location on Pacific Avenue in the Jersey Shore gambling hub. The gaming floor at the Borgata is back open, but some events including a $1.4 million prize drawing are postponed, according to a notice sent to MGM Rewards members.

The MGM Rewards app as of Friday, Sept. 15, included a notice it was “undergoing maintenance” making digital hotel room keys unavailable.

The pair of hacks has put a spotlight on the computer defenses of the multibillion-dollar casino and hospitality business in Las Vegas, which are ripe targets for cybercriminals to extort.

Caesars Entertainment, which owns famous hotel-casinos such as Caesars Palace, confirmed on Sept. 7 that the hackers had stolen a copy of the customer loyalty program database, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The hackers broke into computer systems via “a social engineering attack” on an IT support contractor, according to the filing.

“We have taken steps to ensure that the stolen data is deleted by the unauthorized actor, although we cannot guarantee this result,” Caesars Entertainment said. The company did not immediately respond to CNN’s questions as to what steps were taken and whether they included paying a ransom.

For its part, MGM Resorts has repeatedly referred to a “cybersecurity issue” in describing the disruption to some of its computer systems, but the incident has the hallmarks of a cyberattack.

“We continue to work diligently to resolve our cybersecurity issue while addressing individual guest needs promptly,” MGM Resorts said in a statement on Thursday morning. The company said on Monday, when news of the incident broke, that it had shut down certain…