The infinity pool at Resorts World Las Vegas. (Photo Credit: Resorts World Las Vegas)
Politics has come to America’s Playground in Las
Vegas.
Some guests staying at the Resorts World resort and casino say they are being unfairly targeted by the property because
they are attending a hackers convention.
The convention is sponsored by and called Def Con 32.
The guests say there are daily room checks, although
the hotel says they are scheduled and not intrusive. Others are willing to cut
some slack to the hotel, given that there was recently a cybersecurity issue at
several casinos in which credit card and personal information of guests was
stolen.
“(Security) had no idea what they were looking for,”
said Korvin Szanto, of Portland, Oregon. “They knocked and came in, and showed
me a big, long list of stuff that they wanted to look for. It had things like
random cables and a USB thumb drive. I said, ‘You have these things.’”
Szanto is a veteran of hackers conventions in Las
Vegas and said other hotels have done the same things in the past.
“These inspections are a standard practice in many of
Las Vegas’ premiere hotels, particularly during periods of increased
foreseeable risk, where vigilance is critical. These inspections are a
precautionary measure intended to enhance our on-site security presence (both
physical security and cybersecurity), maintain the integrity of our property’s
services, and safeguard our guests, business partners, and staff against
potential cyberattack threats,” Resorts World said in a statement.
MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment were
victims of cyberattacks in 2023.
“It’s kind of an invasion of privacy,” guest Chandler
Emhoff said. “(They’re) stereotyping us as criminals because we’re here for a
hacker convention.”
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
