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Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Casino Confirms Data Breach, 55K Customers Affected

Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino in Southern Nevada has announced a data breach that exposed private information of over 55,000 customers. 

The Laughlin, Nev, resort started notifying state attorneys general and affected consumers on September 5 about the discovery of a data breach. Casino security staff suspect that the hacking incident took place on July 24, 2024. 

The unapproved individual reportedly accessed sensitive customer information, such as names and Social Security numbers.

"Upon discovery, Riverside immediately engaged forensic specialists in cybersecurity and data privacy to investigate further. Through this investigation, Riverside determined that an unauthorized third party potentially accessed and acquired certain files during this incident,” Riverside Assistant General Manager Matthew Laughlin wrote in a notification letter sent to impacted customers.

“Data security is one of our highest priorities. Upon detecting this incident, we moved quickly to initiate an investigation,” Laughlin continued. “We promptly disabled all relevant accounts and worked with our third-party specialists to confirm the security of our environment.”

No Wrongdoing, However 

Laughlin, a grandchild of the late Don Laughlin, stated that the resort has not received any reports of the sensitive information being misused for illegal activities. However, individuals who got the notification letter are urged to keep an eye on their credit reports and scores for any unusual activity and to notify their banks and financial institutions regarding the compromise of their personal information. 

The data breach affects individuals from Nevada, Arizona, and California. Riverside is located by the Colorado River, which divides Nevada and Arizona. Laughlin is located only 10 miles to the northeast of the California border. 

The hack’s effects reach the East Coast, where Riverside customers living as far away as Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont also got the data breach alert. Riverside is providing complimentary credit monitoring services to those affected. 

The cyber attack is the most recent to target the US gaming sector. The FBI has consistently alerted tribal casinos that they have turned into major targets for hackers, but worries in the casino sector intensified when hackers breached MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment last year. 

Riverside did not reveal if a ransom was requested and/or settled. MGM declined to make a payment, resulting in operational losses exceeding $100 million. Caesars decided to pay a ransom of $15 million to regain access to its IT systems. 

Riverside Narrative 

In 1954, Don Laughlin acquired the southern end of Nevada, known as South Pointe at the time, and in 1966, he constructed and launched Riverside. The initial “resort” had only eight motel rooms, with half taken by Laughlin’s relatives, 12 slot machines, two table games, and a chicken dinner buffet for 98 cents. 

Riverside has seen numerous expansions over the years, and currently boasts over 1,400 rooms, several restaurants and bars, a concert venue with 2,650 seats, a cinema, and a bowling alley with 34 lanes. The gaming area of the casino features more than 1,200 slot machines, around twenty tables, a poker area, and a William Hill Sportsbook. 

The Riverside property remains under the ownership of the Laughlin family. Don Laughlin passed away last October at the age of 92. 

Laughlin intended to call the isolated Nevada settlement Riverside, but the US Postal Service chose Laughlin instead. Currently, the town hosts various other casinos, such as Harrah’s, Laughlin River Lodge, Golden Nugget, Edgewater, and Tropicana.