A class-action lawsuit has officially been filed against Casino Rama, following a cyberattack earlier this month.
In a statement of claim filed in a Toronto court on Monday, law firm Charney Lawyers says the private information of customers, employees and vendors was violated under the Consumer Protection Act.
“The plaintiffs bring this action on behalf of all persons residing in Canada whose private information was stolen or accessed without authorization in the breach,” reads the claim.
"Casino Rama has not complied with privacy laws, including the federal privacy statue which requires them to have state-of-the-art security measures," says lawyer Ted Charney.
Those plaintiffs are listed in the claim as Leonid Kaplan of Barrie and Cheryl Jane Mizzi of Stouffville. Both say they have visited the casino in the past and provided various forms of personal information, including their credit card and photo ID.
Six defendants are listed in the claim, including Casino Rama Services Inc., Penn National Gaming Inc., Chippewas of Rama First Nation and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
On Thursday, Casino Rama warned its customers, vendors as well as current and former staff to keep an eye on their bank accounts, credit cards and other financial information.
Casino Rama officials said they had "recently" discovered a cyberattack that resulted in the large-scale data theft.
In a statement on its website, casino officials said “the hacker claims that the employee information dates from 2004 to 2016, and that some of the other categories of information taken date back to 2007. We can confirm that certain employee and customer information was stolen."
The statement of claim states the firm is seeking $50 million in damages, and $10 million in punitive damages.
Those named in the suit have not yet filed a statement of defence, but have 20 days to do so.
In separate statements to CTV News, both Casino Rama and the OLG say they are aware of the class-action suit and are continuing to work with investigators.
“We are limited in how much detail we can provide. We deeply regret the situation and recognize the seriousness of the issue,” said Casino Rama spokesperson Jenna Hunter.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
