PlayNow users have been advised to update all account passwords following a security incident detected by the company.
The company reported a “credential stuffing” attack, with the unusually high traffic on its platforms triggering the alarm on July 24.
PlayNow is an online gambling portal owned and operated by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) since 2004. The service initially offered an outlet to purchase lottery tickets but in later years expanded its gambling offerings, including poker and other online casino games.
Partnership agreements have resulted in the expansion of PlayNow to Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Pat Davis, BCLC President and CEO described the issue as “a deeply concerning incident and a cautionary tale for everyone with multiple online accounts.”
He continued, “Our investigation remains ongoing, and we have found no evidence that our systems have been compromised, or that player login information was stolen from our systems.”
PlayNow believes the incident is contained
“Credential stuffing” is a cyber attack in which bad actors attempt to penetrate customer accounts using email addresses and credentials previously compromised from other databases. It seeks to take advantage of users’ repeating the same password details across several sites.
Immediately after the incident, PlayNow locked down accounts believed to be impacted and took action to impede access from suspicious sources. The company has implored users to take direct action to refresh passwords, especially if using the same details for other services.
Another part of the response was to alert the relevant authorities and partner organizations across BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
BCLC chief Davis added, “Integrity and security are at the core of our business and our games. We are committed to continuing our ongoing evaluation and enhancement of PlayNow security controls to maintain the safety of our players’ information going forward.”
The company also stated it believed the incident was contained, as it “impacted a small percentage of our account base”.
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