Cache Creek Casino Closed Due To Cyber Attack

BROOKS (CBS13) — Cache Creek Casino and Resort is not taking any gambles. The casino is closed for business after an apparent cyber-attack on its system.

The Casino closed operations on Sept. 20 after they said there was an external attack on their computer network.

But Cache Creek is not the only business losing bets, a nearby mini-market has seen a significant drop in customers without constant traffic coming from the casino.

All bets are off the table for Tracy Pryor who is a regular at the casino that shut its doors 10 days ago.

"We love going there and we are very sad that it's not open. We go on date night, have dinner, gamble a little bit, get a room, it's fun," Pryor explained.

The closure at the biggest attraction in the Capay Valley is slowing business for those nearby including Esparto Grab and Go Market.

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"A lot of regulars, they come from Bay Area, Sacramento, they always stopover here. The last 10 to 12 days the lottery sales are low," said owner Amrik Singh.

The Esparto Grab and Go Market has lost 50% in lottery sales alone and 20% in total business in the last week.

"We have been asking to their employees, nobody knows. Nobody has a straight answer of when they are going to open up," Singh said.

In a statement posted on their website, the casino said they are looking into the source of the problem. They did not address what type of hack occurred or what sectors of their business have been impacted.

"The privacy of our guests and employees is our highest priority and we want to make certain they have some peace-of-mind. We are working closely with independent experts who regularly investigate incidents of this type to determine any risks to data security. Attacks like these are significant and can take weeks to research thoroughly," the statement reads.

If customers' or employees' personal information was exposed, the Casino plans to notify them in writing.

"To further reassure our community, we repeat our commitment to continued full pay and benefits for our employees during this time, whether they have been asked to report for their regular shifts or not," the statement said.

UC Davis cybersecurity expert, Matt Bishop, explained while hacks are common, said it's unusual to be closed down for so long.

"I've not heard of this very often, so I would guess at this point they have shut things down to find out what happened because if they continue to operate that may obscure the data you need in order to trace this thing back. If you continue to operate hackers could always come back," Bishop said.

There will not be a full house at this casino until the Cache Creek finds the source of the hack and how much damage was caused, according to Bishop.

"At this point, people should be concerned but not panic. Keep their eyes open to see if their credit cards or other aspects of their identity are being used without their knowledge," he said.

The casino does not have a date to reopen but hopes to have one soon.