Continent 8 Technologies’ Regional Sales Director, Jerad Swimmer and Principal Solutions Architect, Anthony Engel, recently attended the 5th Annual TribalHub Cybersecurity Summit.
At the event, they were showcasing Continent 8’s multi-layered cybersecurity solutions designed to support tribal casinos and their cybersecurity programs.
In this blog, Jerad and Anthony share their key takeaways from the event.
Anthony and Jerad at TribalHub Cybersecurity Summit 2025.
Continent 8 – Proud members of the TribalHub community.
Anthony Engel (AE): The TribalHub Cybersecurity Summit, though smaller in scale, turned out to be an incredible event. We had the chance to engage with nearly every attendee and connect with vendors across various sectors. The event was exceptionally well organized, and its intimate setting allowed for more meaningful and impactful discussions.
Jerad Swimmer (JS): A standout feature of this event was the division of days into presentation sessions followed by an exhibitor segment. From 9:00 to 3:30, Anthony and I attended every session, which afforded us a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of tribal organizations and how we can support them.
Adding a touch of fun to the event, TribalHub included a bingo card for attendees, encouraging them to visit each booth. Many attendees voiced that this initiative provided them with a deeper insight into Continent 8’s comprehensive threat prevention, detection and response strategies, which they might not have discovered otherwise. We are excited to continue many of these discussions beyond the event.
AE: Given the cybersecurity-focused nature of the event, attendees demonstrated advanced cybersecurity knowledge. We shared how, as a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), we are distinctively equipped to deliver a comprehensive cybersecurity ecosystem from a single source – ranging from DDoS protection to endpoint security, cloud protection and even mobile threat prevention. This integrated approach closes cybersecurity gaps that often arise with multiple vendors’ solutions and offers tribal gaming organizations a singular point of accountability for their entire cybersecurity framework.
JS: Indeed, as Anthony highlighted, the discussions spanned a wide array of cybersecurity techniques and strategies. In my conversations, we explored approaches to Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (see Jerad’s most recent cybersecurity blog on VAPT here), mobile endpoint protection, Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM), Security Operations Centers (SOC), Endpoint and Managed Detection and Response (EDR & MDR), as well as strategies to counter social engineering threats.
AE: From an event format perspective, as Jared mentioned earlier, we were pleased that the event organizers ensured the presentation sessions were accessible to exhibitors. This enabled us to customize our discussions around the pain points identified during these sessions and explore various strategies to address their current issues and challenges. It added an extra dimension to vendor-attendee interaction, which I believe the attendees appreciated.
JS: The summit was an exceptional platform for engaging and exchanging ideas with the tribal gaming community. Networking was a continuous all-day and all-evening affair, extending beyond the event into dinner and lounge conversations that really foster unrivalled relationship building.
Anthony and I are already looking forward to reconnecting with everyone at our next event – the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention! We hope to see you there!
Visit us at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego from March 31 to April 3 at Booth 724 to discover the benefits of 360-degree cybersecurity protection for your tribal gaming organization.
Don’t miss the panel discussion “Creating and maintaining a healthy culture in a new era of cybersecurity”, where Jerad will moderate a session with industry experts Frances Alvarez, Emra Arkansas, Jason Nichols and Scott Riley. Attendees will gain invaluable insights into data protection, regulatory practices and proactive cybersecurity strategies for tribal gaming.
Book a meeting at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention here.
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your tribal organization’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
Also, be sure to watch the latest episode in our Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked podcast series. Each episode delves into new stories, insights gained, best practices and key developments that are shaping the future of tribal casino gaming and cybersecurity.
Watch Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked podcast series
Jerad Swimmer, Regional Sales Director at Continent 8 Technologies, explores the remarkable surge in tribal gaming revenues and its implications for cybersecurity.
The year 2023 marked a significant milestone in the tribal gaming industry, with revenues reaching an all-time high of $41.9 billion USD, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission. Advisory firm Wipfli noted that this marked the fourth consecutive year of revenue growth for tribal casinos. This remarkable growth reflects the increasing popularity and expansion of tribal casinos across the United States.
The impressive revenue figures are a testament to the hard work and innovation within the industry, highlighting the importance of tribal gaming as a vital economic driver for many tribal communities. However, with great success comes great responsibility, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity.
As tribal casinos flourish financially, they become attractive targets for cybercriminals. The surge in revenue has unfortunately been paralleled by a rise in cyber threats aimed at exploiting vulnerabilities within these establishments, with one source indicating that cyber attacks on tribes surged by almost 60% in 2023.
Cyber attacks on tribal casinos can range from data breaches to ransomware attacks, each with the potential to cause significant financial and reputational damage. The increasing sophistication of these threats demands a proactive and robust approach to cybersecurity to protect both the assets and the patrons of tribal gaming operations.
Several high-profile cybersecurity incidents have underscored the vulnerabilities within the tribal gaming sector. For instance, a tribal casino recently experienced a three-week closure due to an undisclosed cybersecurity incident. Casino officials advised previous guests to monitor their financial and credit card statements for any potential issues.
Another notable incident involved a ransomware attack that compromised all internet servers and data, with the attackers demanding up to $500,000 to restore services. These incidents highlight the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures to safeguard the integrity of tribal gaming enterprises.
To counter the escalating cyber threats, tribal casinos must adopt comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. This includes implementing advanced threat prevention, detection and response systems, regular security audits and continuous employee training to recognize and mitigate potential threats.
Investing in cybersecurity infrastructure, such as firewalls and mobile endpoint protection, can significantly enhance the security posture of tribal gaming operations. Collaborating with cybersecurity experts and adopting industry best practices are also pivotal steps in fortifying defenses against cyber attacks.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, tribal casinos can leverage innovative technologies and solutions to enhance their cybersecurity posture and ensure 360-degree protection. Key solutions include:
As tribal gaming continues to thrive, the critical role of cybersecurity becomes increasingly evident.
In response to the escalating threat of advanced cyber attacks targeting tribal governments and organizations, the Department of Homeland Security announced on July 1, 2024, the allocation of over $18.2 million USD in grants to 32 tribal governments. These inaugural grants, issued under the Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program (TCGP), represent a commitment to supporting tribal communities and gaming organizations in overcoming cybersecurity challenges within their digital infrastructures and environments.
By prioritizing cybersecurity in 2025 and beyond, tribal casinos can ensure sustained growth and resilience, safeguarding their revenues and reputation in an increasingly digital world. The path forward involves a balanced approach that combines innovation and vigilance, ensuring the prosperity and longevity of the tribal gaming sector.
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your tribal organization’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
Also, be sure to watch the latest episode in our Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked podcast series – also available on Spotify – to gain a deeper understanding of the technological advancements, cybersecurity challenges and best practices shaping tribal gaming landscape.
The renewal marks the continuation of a 20-year partnership, providing Playtech with Continent 8’s best-in-class managed and professional services in the regulated iGaming and online sports betting space
Today, Continent 8 Technologies, the trusted partner and provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions to the regulated iGaming and online sports betting market, and Playtech, one of the leading platform, content and services providers in the industry announced the extension of their global partnership agreement. This renewal underscores both companies’ shared commitment to serving and shaping the ever-growing regulated online gaming market.
The recently signed multi-year contract further extends the two-decades-long collaboration between these leading global entities, allowing Playtech to further utilise Continent 8’s comprehensive suite of managed and professional services. This development enables Playtech to maintain its focus on innovating and delivering top-tier online gaming software and live dealer technology to prominent retail and online brands across various gaming verticals. These verticals include land-based casinos, online operators and government-approved lotteries. In addition, Playtech operates B2C brands, leveraging its cross-platform expertise to deliver a direct-to-consumer offering.
Shimon Akad, COO at Playtech, stated, “Continent 8 have been our hosting and connectivity partner since the onset of our journey, 20 years ago. Renewing our agreement is a testament to the joint work and success we’ve built together, and I look forward to continuing our strong collaboration for years to come.”
Michael Tobin, Founder and CEO, Continent 8 Technologies, shared, “Playtech is one of the most recognisable brands in the industry, and we are excited to be a part of their continued success through this expanded strategic partnership. I’m incredibly proud of our 20-year partnership as we have grown and supported each other over the years.
“As the leading iGaming and online sports betting data centre and global network solutions provider, we take pride in consistently delivering carrier-grade connectivity and performance to our customers, ensuring exceptional and unrivalled user and player experiences.”
Watch the Playtech testimonial:
Continent 8 will be at SiGMA Europe, from 11-14 November 2024 at Stand 2048. Schedule a meeting to discuss your infrastructure, cloud and cybersecurity requirements: https://lp.continent8.com/sigma_malta_2024
Continent 8 Technologies, the trusted partner and provider of global managed hosting, connectivity, cloud and cybersecurity solutions to the regulated iGaming and online sports betting market, has expanded its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), chosen as an official solutions provider in the Solution Provider Program (SPP) by AWS.
Over the past 25-plus years, Continent 8 has earned an unrivalled reputation for reliable infrastructure and connectivity, innovating, developing and providing customers with best-in-class managed and professional services to support the most demanding online requirements.
Now, as an SPP member, this enhanced AWS collaboration will enable Continent 8 to introduce a new range of services to simplify the management of AWS cloud environments and infrastructures. The new managed and professional services include:
Regulatory compliance is non-negotiable in the betting and gaming industry. The tailormade Regul8 Guardrails solution provides customers with customised designs and configurations for easy-to-integrate compliance across cloud environments while accelerating time-to-market and expansion into new jurisdictions.
Migrating and managing Kubernetes across different cloud environments can be difficult. The Kubernetes Everywhere service makes it easy for customers to manage their containerised deployments, ensuring consistent, resource-friendly and cost-effective operation across cloud environments, data centers, edge computing infrastructures and within AWS regions using Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS).
Managing hybrid and multi-cloud networks is a complex task. By integrating Continent 8 and AWS networks, the managed network services address the connectivity challenges between on-premises infrastructures, AWS Outposts, enterprise networks and AWS Regions. This service ensures customers benefit from the most resilient and secure hybrid cloud connectivity path, away from the public Internet.
Continent 8 is the trusted advanced partner in delivering 90% of AWS Outposts to the biggest brands – including FanDuel and Hard Rock Digital – in the regulated betting and gaming market. Building upon this AWS Outposts portfolio, the new Managed AWS Outposts service streamlines the procurement, logistics, workload migration and ongoing management of AWS Outposts, allowing customers to focus on launch activities. Continent 8 continues to provide best-in-class connectivity and seamless access to all AWS Direct Connect (DX) on-ramp locations.
Complementing these new cloud offerings is a dedicated team of over 30 AWS-certified and AWS-trained experts available to deliver and support high-touch AWS solutions tailored to each customer’s unique requirements.
“The AWS Solution Partner Program milestone underscores Continent 8’s commitment to continuing its position as the service and solutions provider of choice to the iGaming and online sports betting market. Whether it’s hyperscale, hybrid, public or private cloud management, Continent 8 remains steadfast in delivering trusted, bespoke, best-practice and value-added cloud experiences for our customers.”
Extending AWS capabilities for regulated betting and gaming environments
Join Continent 8 and AWS in a rapid-fire webinar to discover the key considerations and best practices for extending, optimising and reimagining AWS hybrid and multi-cloud architectures for betting and gaming operations.
Continent 8 Technologies PR & Media Marketing Department contact: press@continent8.com