Gateway Casinos and Entertainment has announced the phased reopening of its Ontario locations, following a two-week shutdown of its IT systems due to a cyberattack. The physical and virtual locations were closed since Sunday, April 16, but the Casino Rama Resort’s Hotel, Spa, Weirs restaurant and St. Germain’s restaurant in Orillia remained open. Gateway announced that a phased re-opening of its 14 Ontario properties would begin with Gateway Casinos Innisfil on April 30, and since then, Gateway Casinos London and Playtime Casino Wasaga Beach have joined the Innisfil location in reopening. The exact reopening dates for the remaining locations were not provided, but Gateway said they would be in “the coming days.”
While the incident was unfortunate, Gateway reassured its customers that it will continue to work with third-party experts to determine whether personal information was compromised. So far, it remains unknown whether any personal information was affected by the attack. Gateway Casinos and Entertainment is “one of the largest and most diversified gaming and entertainment companies in Canada,” with 29 gaming properties in British Columbia and Ontario and two more in Edmonton, Alberta. None of its locations outside Ontario were impacted.
The reopening comes as a relief for Gateway, which had to endure the shutdown of its Ontario operations for two weeks. The closure of Gateway’s Ontario locations had a significant impact on its operations and revenue, and the company will be looking to make up for lost time in the coming weeks. The company’s announcement of a phased reopening will allow it to get back to normal operations gradually, while also ensuring the safety and well-being of its customers and employees. Gateway’s reopening is also a positive sign for the gaming and entertainment industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and needs to bounce back in the coming months.