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MGM data breach explained: What hackers stole, who may be affected and what to do now

MGM confirmed that some customers’ names, contact details, birth dates and driver’s-license numbers were obtained in the 2023 cyberattack. Here is what the company said about passwords and payment data, how the later settlement works and what affected people can do now.
From TheFinanceBase Team6 min to read
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Short answer: MGM Resorts said on October 5, 2023, that an unauthorized third party obtained personal information belonging to some customers during the September cyberattack. MGM identified names, contact details, gender, dates of birth and driver’s-license numbers as potentially involved. It said it did not believe passwords, bank-account numbers or payment-card information were affected. A later $45 million settlement covered claims tied to both the 2023 incident and a separate 2019 incident; its claim deadline was June 3, 2025.

What happened in the MGM cyberattack?

MGM disclosed a cybersecurity issue affecting certain systems on or around September 11–12, 2023. The company shut down or disabled systems while it investigated and restored operations, disrupting hotel, casino, reservation, payment and loyalty services.

MGM’s investigation determined that an unauthorized third party obtained some customer information on September 11. The company formally announced that finding on October 5, 2023. The operational disruption and the later-confirmed data access are related, but they are not the same fact: systems were disrupted first, and the scope of customer information was confirmed later.

MGM’s October 5 announcement and its SEC filing provide the company’s chronology.

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What information was potentially taken?

For some customers, MGM said the accessed information could include:

  • Name
  • Contact information, including telephone number, email address and postal address
  • Gender
  • Date of birth
  • Driver’s-license numbers

MGM said it did not believe customer passwords, bank-account numbers or payment-card information were affected. That is MGM’s stated conclusion, not an absolute guarantee that no individual record was ever exposed. The wording also does not establish that every listed category applied to every person who received a notice. See the company’s regulator notification and later filing.

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Why do some reports mention passports and Social Security numbers?

Later court and settlement materials covering both the July 2019 and September 2023 incidents list additional categories, including addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, driver’s-license numbers, passport numbers and Social Security numbers. That combined list does not prove that every category came from the 2023 attack or that every affected person had all of those data types compromised. The settlement FAQ describes the combined litigation record.

Who may have been affected?

MGM referred to “some customers,” not every guest, loyalty member or account holder. Later filings describe affected U.S. customers whose information was accessed through certain U.S. systems. Public reporting indicated that some records related to customers who had transacted with MGM before March 2019, suggesting that older records were involved. That does not mean only pre-March 2019 customers were at risk; an individual notice is the best evidence for a particular person.

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Do not assume that every MGM Resorts guest, MGM Rewards member, BetMGM user or customer of a third-party booking or payment service was included. The databases and contracts can differ by brand and property, and MGM has not supplied a definitive public count for the 2023 incident in the sources cited here.

What did MGM offer affected customers?

MGM said it would notify relevant customers as required by law and arrange one year of credit monitoring and identity-protection services at no cost. The offer was for customers MGM identified as relevant or affected, not automatically for everyone who had ever stayed at an MGM property. The original offer was time-limited, so a person who did not enroll then should not assume that the benefit remains available.

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Be cautious with follow-up messages. MGM, a monitoring provider or the settlement administrator should not require you to pay to receive a benefit or send sensitive information through an unexpected link.

What is the current settlement status?

MGM later reached a $45 million settlement resolving U.S. class-action litigation concerning both the 2019 and 2023 incidents. MGM’s later filing says insurers paid the settlement fund in February 2025.

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Item What the records say
Incidents covered July 2019 and September 2023 MGM data incidents
Settlement amount $45 million, according to MGM’s filing
Funding Insurers paid the fund in February 2025, according to MGM’s filing
Claim deadline June 3, 2025, listed in the settlement notice

The official settlement site and its notice described possible cash payments, documented-loss reimbursement and monitoring or identity-protection benefits, depending on eligibility and the information involved. As of 2026, the listed claim deadline has passed. Check the administrator for any current status rather than assuming a new claim can be filed. Accepting settlement benefits generally affects a claimant’s ability to pursue released claims; consult the settlement documents or an attorney for legal advice. MGM’s filing on the resolution is available at this SEC page.

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What should a potentially affected person do now?

  1. Verify the notice. Type mgmdatasettlement.com or MGM’s official site into your browser. Do not use an unexpected email or text link, and locate contact details independently.
  2. Freeze your credit if identity information may be involved. A freeze is free, does not affect your credit score and remains until you lift or remove it. Place it separately with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion using the FTC’s credit-freeze guidance and bureau directory.
  3. Consider a fraud alert. An initial alert is free for one year; contacting one bureau should notify the other two. An extended seven-year alert requires an FTC identity-theft report or equivalent documentation. Details are at IdentityTheft.gov and Experian’s comparison.
  4. Review your credit reports. The FTC says weekly free reports are available through AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for unfamiliar inquiries, accounts, addresses or collection activity.
  5. Watch accounts and identity signals. Review bank and card statements, MGM Rewards activity, email and phone accounts, tax and medical records, and any new loan, utility or telecommunications account.
  6. Change reused passwords and enable multifactor authentication. MGM said passwords were not believed to be affected, but a password reused on MGM, BetMGM, email, banking or another service remains a risk.
  7. Report confirmed identity theft. IdentityTheft.gov can create a report and recovery plan. Contact the company where fraud occurred, secure or close the account and dispute fraudulent information.

Credit freeze or fraud alert?

Option Best for Trade-off
Credit freeze Blocking most new-credit applications while keeping existing accounts usable You must temporarily lift it for a legitimate credit check, such as a loan, rental or mobile contract
Initial fraud alert Asking lenders to take extra steps to verify your identity without freezing files It does not block applications; creditors are asked to verify identity

Monitoring is an alerting tool, not prevention. It may not detect bank-account takeover, payroll or tax fraud, medical identity theft, some utility accounts or activity that has not yet reached a monitored credit file. A freeze, account security and statement review remain important even if monitoring is active.

Do you need paid identity-theft monitoring?

No. Start with the free FTC and bureau remedies. Paid services may be useful for ongoing three-bureau alerts, household coverage, restoration assistance or bundled security tools, but they do not replace freezes or eliminate phishing.

  • Experian IdentityWorks: Experian’s page lists a seven-day trial followed by $24.99 per month for the listed Premium plan. Check whether the selected plan monitors all three bureaus and review renewal terms at Experian’s official page.
  • Aura: Aura lists a Family plan at $32 per month billed annually or $50 billed monthly, with a 14-day trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans. The plan includes monitoring and digital-security tools for a household. See Aura’s pricing page.

Those prices and benefits can change. Neither subscription is required to respond to the MGM incident.

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How to avoid follow-on scams

  • Do not pay a fee to “release” settlement money.
  • Do not send a full Social Security number, password, payment details or identity document in response to an unexpected message.
  • Use independently typed official domains rather than embedded links.
  • Check the sender address and call-back number through an official site, not the message itself.

The Bottom Line

MGM confirmed in October 2023 that some customers’ personal information was obtained, while saying passwords and payment information were not believed to be affected. Separate the 2023 disclosure from the 2019 incident covered by the later settlement, whose June 3, 2025 claim deadline has passed. For protection now, verify any notice, freeze all three credit files when appropriate, monitor accounts and reports, secure reused passwords, and report actual identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov.

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