Gambling Operators Are a Top Cybercrime Target, Says New Report

Article ByDavid Weir

July 19, 2023

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Posted in: US Gambling Crime News, US Gambling News

Gambling operators are the second-most likely target for Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) cyberattacks globally, according to a recent report from cybersecurity firm Cloudflare.

To simplify, DDoS attacks use a “botnet” of infected or setup computers that are all directed to visit a particular website or server at once. That can overload the server, causing it to crash or become unstable.

According to the report, cryptocurrency websites were the most likely target of DDoS attackers. Gambling operations were in second place, seeing such attacks form 0.057% of all traffic, followed by marketing and advertising companies in third.

The study also analyzed the sources of DDoS attacks.

While the usual suspects might be China, North Korea, or Russia for global cybercrime, Cloudflare researchers actually found that the U.S. was the leading contributor for DDoS attacks. U.S.-traced attacks accounted for 15% of all such events globally.

If the study is to be believed, that makes the U.S. the biggest victim and perpetrator of DDoS attacks in the world (so far in 2023).

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The Threat to Online Casinos

Online casinos and gambling sites have become prime targets for DDoS attacks.

The impact on operators can be considerable, leading to significant financial losses and damage to their reputation.

The report suggests that the high volume of attacks from the U.S. could be because of the country’s advanced technological infrastructure and the prevalence of high-speed internet connections. That makes it easier for individual attackers to launch large-scale DDoS attacks.

Unlike many cybercrimes, DDoS attackers are not usually seeking financial gain. With ransomware, for example, companies can be locked out of their systems for months until they pay up or fix it.

In the case of DDoS, both the attackers and the victim know that the service denial is only temporary. But it is still considerably damaging for a business while its operation is offline.

Often, these kind of attacks are carried out by people or organizations looking to disrupt and publicly embarrass a business or business sector – for which there could be a whole variety of nefarious reasons.

That doesn’t mean the attacks aren’t becoming more complex. As companies like Cloudflare build more protection for companies, a cat and mouse game ensues as hackers scramble to circumnavigate the new security capabilities.

“This level of sophistication has previously been associated with state-level and state-sponsored threat actors, and it seems these capabilities are now at the disposal of cyber criminals,” the report said.

The Wider Picture

While online casinos are a significant target, they are not the only major business sector to face this ongoing threat.

The report indicates that DDoS attacks have increased by 15% across all sectors in the last quarter. This rise in cyberattacks is a cause for concern for all online businesses, not just those in the gambling industry.

The report also highlights the need for businesses to invest in robust cybersecurity measures to protect themselves from such attacks, although, of course, it also is also published by a cybersecurity firm.

The measures Cloudflare recommended include updating and patching systems and educating staff about the risks and signs of a potential attack.

The picture is not globally exactly the same, however. In the U.S., the most likely victims are marketing and advertising companies, with casinos in second.

Gambling operators took the top spot in Europe, however, whereas Asian DDoS attacks preferred targets were cryptocurrency sites.

The U.S. was the most-attacked country, followed by Canada and Singapore.

American casinos have also been targeted with a series of impostor scams over the past months, including a $1.1 million theft at the Circa Casino and Resort in Las Vegas.

The Indian Gaming Commission this week felt the need to issue its own warning about the scam to its member casinos, including tips on how to prevent them.