A 17-year-old boy stood before the juvenile court this week. Prosecutors say he helped attack two Las Vegas casino giants. The cyber attack cost tens of millions of dollars. MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment suffered a sophisticated hack in 2023. Caesars Entertainment operates as the world’s largest casino company. The FBI launched an investigation immediately.

The Chicago teenager surrendered to authorities on September 17. FBI’s Las Vegas Cyber Task Force detectives had identified him as a suspect. They tracked him down through digital evidence. The suspect was only 15 during the attack. Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Clarke told the court he committed cyberterrorism. He never left his home to do it.

Caesars Pays Hackers $15 Million to End Cyberattack

Caesars Entertainment paid $15 million to the hackers. They wanted to stop the ransomware attack quickly. The payment ended their nightmare. MGM Resorts refused to pay the extortion demand. Clarke stated their damages reached about $200 million. MGM disputed this amount in court.

The attack exposed more than 65,000 Social Security numbers. People’s personal information was now at risk. This created massive security concerns. Clarke argued the teenager should stay in custody. She told the court about his sophisticated skills. His criminal capabilities worried prosecutors deeply. The prosecutor called him dangerous to others. She explained to 8 News Now that authorities don’t know his full access. They fear what he might do next. Defence attorneys pointed to his voluntary surrender. They argued he is not a flight risk. This showed responsibility, they claimed.

MGM Resorts Hit by Major Cyberattack in September 2023

District Court Judge Dee Butler ordered his release. The teenager must follow strict conditions. His next court appearance will determine more. His parents made special arrangements with the court. They will monitor his activities closely. Any violations could send him back to custody. MGM Resorts reported major problems in September 2023. The hack disrupted reservations and casino floors across multiple states. Operations ground to a halt. Social media videos showed dark slot machines everywhere. Hotel guests discovered their room cards stopped working. Chaos spread through the properties.

Authorities believe the teen possesses $1.8 million in bitcoin. They cannot locate these funds from the attacks. The money remains hidden somewhere. The suspect’s name stays secret because of his age. Prosecutors might charge him as an adult later. This decision will come soon. He faces serious charges, including extortion and unlawful computer acts. MGM responded swiftly and shut down certain U.S. company systems. They detected the issue early and took action. This prevented worse damage. The shutdown caused disruptions at some properties.

But MGM prevented criminals from accessing customer bank accounts. Payment card information stayed safe, too. Caesars told the Securities and Exchange Commission about data deletion in September 2023. They took steps to ensure that stolen data is deleted. But they cannot guarantee this result.