The degree to which online hazards matter to casinos depends on their level of involvement in web-based gaming — which, these days, is considerable for the vast majority of operators.
Data breaches that expose customers' personally identifiable information and the crippling danger of ransomware are some of the biggest risks casinos face. Gaming businesses must also consider the uncertainties presented by new frontiers like cryptocurrency: Despite growing interest in Bitcoin and other crypto varieties as drivers of gaming, their novelty, volatility, and unregulated nature represent risks just as big as their profit potential.
Casinos operate at the pleasure of lawmakers in their relevant jurisdictions, making strict regulatory compliance an absolute must. Failures in this regard can lead to fines and other penalties, including loss of licensure. As such, it is critical that compliance issues be factored into risk management.
Even in a world of more regulated gambling, gaming enterprises remain susceptible to hazards like fraud, embezzlement, and threats to customer safety. Last, but not least, all casinos – earthbound or online – should have disaster recovery contingencies against worst-case scenarios ranging from fires and floods to catastrophic server failures.