[BreachExchange] BetAmerica Sportsbook Finally Back Online after SBTech Cyber Attack Incident

[Destry Winant]

https://www.casinonewsdaily.com/2020/04/20/betamerica-sportsbook-finally-back-online-after-sbtech-cyber-attack-incident/

The BetAmerica sportsbook has come back online three weeks after its
sports betting platform provider was hit by a sophisticated cyber
attack that forced the wagering operation to shut down.

BetAmerica, which is owned by US casino and racetrack operator
Churchill Downs Inc., on Friday informed its US online betting and
casino customers that it was returning back online after the incident.

BetAmerica is powered by sports betting and gaming platform provider
SBTech. In late March, the provider became the victim of a powerful
ransomware attack that forced it to power down its data centers around
the world.

That caused more than 50 sports betting operations, including
BetAmerica, to shut down while SBTech and third-party experts brought
in by the company investigated the incident.

Some of the affected SBTech-powered sportsbooks remained offline only
for about a weekend, but others like BetAmerica had to wait for weeks
before they were able to resume operations.

SBTech has not disclosed the exact nature of the cyber attack, but
ensured that no bettor data has been exposed as a result of the
incident.

In a statement to its customers, BetAmerica said that its technology
provider has advised them “that there has been no indication that
BetAmerica customer data was accessed or extracted.”

BetAmerica’s Online Casino Was, Too, Affected

The BetAmerica brand comprises retail and digital sportsbooks in
several US states as well as an online casino operation. The online
casino, was, too, affected by the recent cyber attack.

BetAmerica ventured into the online casino sector in February 2019
when it launched its casino app in the regulated iGaming market of New
Jersey. The operator extended its iGaming footprint to Pennsylvania
earlier this year after a successful testing period with the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board in late January.

BetAmerica also operates a racebook that runs separately from its
sports betting and online casino product. The racebook was not
affected by the cyber attack.

Churchill Downs launched its BetAmerica brand in 2018 after the US
Supreme Court invalidated a long-standing federal ban on athletic
gambling. The BetAmerica sportsbooks were first debuted in Mississippi
where sports betting became legal shortly after the SCOTUS ruling was
issued.

The BetAmerica brand later on expanded in Indiana with retail and
online sportsbooks and in Pennsylvania with Presque Isle Downs and
Casino, which is owned by Churchill Downs. The operation has also
launched a sports betting app in New Jersey through a partnership with
Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget Casino.

Other US sportsbooks that are powered by SBTech, including the Oregon
Lottery’s Scoreboard app, returned online much earlier. The
aforementioned Oregon-facing app resumed operations on April 2, or
just a couple of days after the cyper attack had hit the sports
betting technology provider.