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- By Native News Online Staff
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan’ largest tribe, announced today that Kewadin Casinos will begin welcoming guests back on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Following a cyberattack earlier this month, Kewadin Casinos has restored its systems and will reopen in phases:
- Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. Marie – Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 12 noon.
- Kewadin Casino St. Ignace – Friday, Feb. 28, at 12 noon.
- Kewadin Casinos in Manistique, Christmas, and Hessel – Monday, March 3, at 12 noon.
All casino hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues will return to their regular business hours upon reopening, and guests can confidently use credit cards at the casino. Additionally, the Tesla concert at Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, Feb. 28, at 8 p.m. will take place as planned.
The reopening comes as welcome news, as the casinos have been closed since Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, following a widespread system shutdown caused by a ransomware attack.
“Some tribal organizations were impacted more severely than others and are still recovering, but we’re fortunate to be able to reopen Kewadin’s doors and continue serving as a prime entertainment destination for the eastern U.P.,” Sault Tribe Chairman Austin Lowes said. “To our guests who were unable to visit us during this time, I am very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. Our team worked with outside cybersecurity experts around the clock to make the necessary steps to strengthen and enhance our IT systems, and we are open and ready for business.”
In addition to affecting Kewadin Casinos, the cyberattack also disrupted essential services for other operations of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Upon discovering the attack on Feb. 9, tribal officials took immediate action to shut down systems and prevent further damage. They promptly engaged law enforcement, legal advisors, and cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and have since worked to strengthen their IT systems to guard against future threats.
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