Cyberattack Forces Turning Stone Casinos to Cash Only

Turning Stone Resort Casino and two sister businesses in northern New York have begun conducting transactions only in cash following a cybersecurity incident. The incident caused core operating systems to go offline. Turning Stone Enterprises, the commercial arm of the Oneida Nation, said that it shut down some internal systems as a precaution after the incident.

Credit card payments could not be processed on Tuesday, November 3. ATMs, sports betting and bingo operations were also disrupted. Affected venues include the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, the Point Place Casino in Bridgeport, and the YBR Casino & Sports Book in Chittenango. The Lake House at Sylvan Beach, Maple Leaf Markets and SavOn stores are also temporarily accepting only cash.

On Monday, November 8, the company said it has found no evidence that confidential information was accessed. The investigation is ongoing. The cause of the attack and whether an outside party is responsible have not been disclosed. The disruption also affected the company's loyalty program, TS Rewards, which lets members earn and redeem points for gaming, hotel stays, dining and retail purchases.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the company said it is working with cybersecurity experts to restore full operations but did not provide a timeline. It said it would publish a daily service status update each evening until all systems are back online.

Commercial and tribal casinos in North America have faced a growing number of high-profile cyberattacks in recent years. According to the FBI, tribal casinos can be attractive targets because attackers may see them as having weaker cybersecurity systems and fewer defensive resources.