In 2025, casino cybersecurity vulnerabilities are more complex than ever. Between IoT-enabled gaming systems, interconnected surveillance networks, and third-party software integrations, casinos have become prime targets for both cybercriminals and state-backed threat actors.
These challenges were at the forefront of discussion in Episode 1 of the “Demystifying Cybersecurity” podcast, where The Saturn Partners’ President Carole Crawford and cybersecurity engineer Ben Guerard explored the hidden weaknesses threatening gaming operations today.
The House Always Loses with Weak Third-Party Security
Casinos depend on a vast ecosystem of vendors, from payment processors and gaming software developers to hospitality and entertainment systems. But many fail to maintain an up-to-date inventory of these vendors, creating blind spots that attackers exploit.
As Ben noted in the episode, “Only 32% of vendors receive ongoing monitoring.” Many organizations still rely on outdated certifications or vendor self-assessments without verifying real security maturity.
To minimize third-party exposure:
- Conduct annual reassessments of all critical vendors.
- Require SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 validation and review executive summaries.
- Integrate continuous monitoring to flag suspicious supplier activity.
- Enforce incident-response tabletop exercises with your key vendors.
Casinos cannot afford to treat third-party oversight as a checkbox. It’s a continuous, evolving risk domain, especially when unmonitored vendors touch financial transactions, customer databases, or surveillance systems.
The Visibility Gap: Siloed Systems and Fragmented Oversight
Modern casinos operate hybrid environments, legacy slot machine networks, digital sportsbooks, cloud-based loyalty programs, and operational technology (OT) for climate, lighting, and access control. The result? Fragmentation and limited visibility across systems.
Carole emphasized in the podcast that “these environments are so siloed—it’s just asking for it.”
Ben’s recommendation: start by converging IT and OT using edge gateways or middleware that translate OT protocols into IT-readable telemetry. Feed this data into a unified SIEM or XDR platform.
This integration helps identify cross-domain anomalies—like a surveillance camera making outbound calls or a payment server communicating with unknown hosts—before they escalate into full-blown incidents.
Recommended framework: the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 (CSF)—especially the new Govern function—to standardize how you identify, monitor, and control risk across IT, OT, and IoT. NIST Publications
The IoT Casino Problem: When Cameras Become Backdoors
The casino floor is packed with connected devices, cameras, smart locks, lighting controls, even digital signage. Each device increases the attack surface.
Ben shared a striking example: a Las Vegas venue’s aquarium climate control system was compromised via an IoT weakness—illustrating how “non-IT” tech can open real IT risk.
Treat IoT like core IT:
- Inventory everything—including contractor-installed devices.
- Segment IoT networks away from business and gaming systems.
- Disable Bluetooth unless absolutely necessary; new vulnerabilities emerge weekly.
- Avoid white-label IoT with unknown firmware and poor update paths.
- Stream device logs into your SIEM for behavioral monitoring.
As Ben put it, “The days of set-it-and-forget-it IoT are long over.”
Smarter Security for Smaller Casinos
Regional and tribal casinos face a hard reality: limited staff and budget. A full in-house SOC is unrealistic. Instead, lean into Managed Detection & Response (MDR) and co-managed SIEM models.
These hybrids provide 24/7 monitoring, without the staffing burden and ensure alerts are triaged and contained via pre-defined playbooks. As Carole highlighted, this helps smaller casinos achieve the same level of protection as larger operators at a fraction of the cost.
From Risk to Resilience
Security isn’t a one-time project—it’s ongoing revenue protection.
“Nobody wants to do business with a company that can’t speak intelligently about its security posture,” Ben warned.
Casinos should see cybersecurity not as an expense but as the foundation of operational trust, regulatory compliance, and player confidence.
Listen to the Full Conversation
Hear the full discussion between Carole Crawford and Ben Guerard—plus real-world casino and IoT examples—in Episode 1 of the Demystifying Cybersecurity podcast: “Protection Strategies for Banking, Casino, and Maritime Industries.”
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Mgq9daKKlOo?si=fXyrfFcqIZFkycXQ
Ready to harden your gaming environment without a 10-person SOC?
Contact us to deploy MDR, tighten third-party controls, and segment IoT so your operation stays resilient.