Power Outage at The Venetian Starts Rumors of Cyberattack

While slot machines are a key attraction, core hotel and restaurant systems at The Venetian reportedly remained unaffected, with no impact on front desk services or payment processingImage Source: Shutterstock.com

After The Venetian Resort in Las Vegassuffered a huge power outage during the weekend, many visitors started claiming this could be a cyberattack. However, the casino later denied this to be the case.

Power Outage Disrupts Vacationers at The Venetian

Although the outage was brief, it happened during peak hours and caused frustration among guests. The Venetian later clarified that the incident was not linked to any cyberattacks, addressing concerns that arose in light of recent ransomware incidents at competing casinos.

While slot machines are a key attraction, core hotel and restaurant systems at The Venetian reportedly remained unaffected, with no impact on front desk services or payment processing. Nevertheless, the incident highlighted that even high-end luxury resorts are not immune to internal technical failures. Although the outage was brief, it happened during peak hours and caused significant frustration among guests.

Soon after the power outages happened and many machines, wi-fi, and other services stopped working, many social media users started circulating rumors that the casino was a victim of a cyberattack. Guests also experienced check-in disruptions, leading to long lines in the lobby. A spokesperson for the property said that the issues were due to an internet outage and that normal operations were expected to resume shortly.

One visitor posted on X, describing a “current glitch” at The Venetian and Palazzo, noting that attendants were forced to hand-pay every guest and that there weren’t nearly enough staff to handle the demand, resulting in wait times of several hours. Another user reported a major network outage at The Venetian, stating that phones and slot machines were down, and even the digital displays showing blackjack minimums were offline. The post described the situation as ongoing, with staff seen moving through the casino floor shutting down machines.

Other Power Outages Have Previously Disturbed the Strip

This wasn’t the first instance of a technical disruption at a Las Vegas resort. For example, in the previous year, MGM Resortsexperienced a major system outage that impacted several of its properties, leading to check-in delays of up to four hours. More recently, three people were arrested by Las Vegas police on suspicion of stealing copious amounts of electricity cables that resulted in severe power outages on The Strip.

Against that backdrop, even relatively minor outages are met with increased concern. The Venetian’s swift public response reflects the heightened awareness surrounding cybersecurity threats and the growing scrutiny faced by major resort operators.

In other news regarding the Venetian, recently, the casino had to pay an $850,000 settlement in a religious discrimination lawsuit. The Venetian allegedly struck back against employees who opposed such discrimination.