Boyd Gaming Hit with Class-Action Lawsuits After Data Breach

Gambling company Boyd Gaming Corp. has been hit with five class-action lawsuits filed by affected employees, former workers, and customers.

Boyd Gaming headquarters in Spring Valley, Nevada. The company faces class-action lawsuits after a data hack incident.
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The lawsuits arise from a cyberattack against the company in early September, which enabled hackers to steal sensitive personal data, including names and social security numbers. Filed in US District Court in Nevada, the lawsuits allege that the company failed to protect data and delayed notifying individuals whose information was compromised.

The breach came to light on September 23, when Boyd disclosed it in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company reported that unauthorized actors had accessed its IT systems and removed employee records along with data on a limited number of other people.

Boyd began sending letters to those affected that same day and notified the required regulators. However, the operator has not revealed the precise timing of the intrusion or whether it paid any ransom to the attackers.

Scott Levy, a former Boyd employee from Las Vegas, was the first to file on September 25. His five-count complaint charges the company with negligence, breach of implied contract, unjust enrichment, violation of the Nevada Consumer Fraud Act, and a request for declaratory judgment. Levy's suit highlights how the hackers gained entry through weak security measures, exposing highly private details like Social Security numbers that could lead to identity theft.

Three days later, on September 30, four more suits followed from plaintiffs in Nevada, Louisiana, Texas, and Ohio. Deandric Price, a Las Vegas resident, claims in his court documents that Boyd discovered the breach as early as September 6 but waited too long to alert victims.

Sherekia Price, a Louisiana resident, claims the incident affected thousands, citing Boyd's failure to adequately protect information at its five casinos and racinos in the state. Represented by attorney David Wise of the Wise Law Firm in Reno, she seeks compensation for potential harm from the stolen data.

Larry Harris, a Texas resident, details unauthorized access between September 5 and 7, listing claims from negligence to invasion of privacy. Patricia Tiedtke, who lives in Cincinnati near Boyd's Belterra Park property, questions how her data ended up in the company's systems since she has never been a customer, employee, or client. Her suit, filed by attorney Nathan Ring of Stranch, Jennings, and Garvey in Las Vegas, criticizes Boyd for withholding key facts about the breach.

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Company Stands Firm

Boyd Gaming, which runs 11 casinos in the Las Vegas Valley and 17 more across 10 states, has stuck to its policy of not commenting on ongoing litigation. When contacted for details, a company spokesperson reiterated this stance and directed questions back to the initial SEC disclosure. The filing notes that external cybersecurity experts confirmed the data removal but offers no further timeline or resolution steps.

This incident marks the third major cyberattack on a Nevada casino giant in two years, after Caesars Entertainment paid a $15 million ransom in 2023 and MGM Resorts endured a weeklong disruption. During a Nevada Gaming Commission hearing last week, MGM's chief technology officer revealed that the company offered help to Boyd right after learning of the breach, a gesture that highlights quiet industry support behind the scenes.

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