Published: September 23, 2023, 10:37 AM
Last Updated: September 23, 2023, 10:37 AM
MGM Resorts International has resumed online hotel room reservations for its casino resorts in North America nearly two weeks after its IT systems were attacked by a cyber gang.
MGM announced on Friday that individuals can once again make new room reservations online. However, the process for online reservations has changed significantly from the previous booking platform.
When attempting to book a hotel room, users will be redirected to “vacationsbymgmresorts.poweredbygps.com” on MGM’s casino websites. The new reservation platform requires customers to select a specific property from MGM’s portfolio rather than being property-specific.
Casino.org took a closer look and discovered that the “poweredbygps.com” domain is owned by Travelscape, LLC, which in turn is owned by Expedia Group, the parent company.
MGM likely partnered with the third-party booking giant to alleviate the strain on their phone lines, which have been overwhelmed with guests attempting to book, modify, or cancel their reservations since the cyberattack on September 10.
Temporary Solutions
Due to long wait times on phone calls, MGM has introduced new temporary solutions to address customer concerns. In addition to restoring online room reservations on their casino homepages, MGM has implemented an online “Guest Support” form for reservation holders to request refunds for canceled stays between September 13-24.
The company assures patrons that they will process their requests as soon as possible. MGM Rewards participants looking to use their loyalty points and comps must continue to contact the company at 877-535-1987.
Although phone wait times may be reduced, guests staying overnight at MGM resorts still experience significant delays during check-in due to the unavailability of self-check-in options through the MGM app and kiosks. As a result, guests must physically obtain room keys since digital entries remain disabled.
MGM has streamlined the checkout process by introducing an “Express Check-Out” box near the front desk. Guests can simply drop their room keys into the box, and a digital copy of their folio will be sent to their registered email once MGM’s systems are operational again.
Job Listing Hoax
A recent online job advertisement claiming to be from MGM Resorts seeking a Red Hat Certified System Administrator caused a stir on the social media platform X. The position is typically held by IT professionals with expertise in core system administration skills required in Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, including creating and configuring file systems and attributes, such as permissions, encryption, access control lists, and network file systems.
The alleged job listing, found on ZipRecruiter, stated that the individual would be assisting MGM Grand Casino in building a new IT environment following the recent ransomware attack. The position was advertised as a contract gig lasting about two weeks, with an hourly rate of $100 and an expectation of working 10 hours a day, seven days a week.
However, an MGM spokesperson has denied the legitimacy of the job posting.