Defending Global Gaming: Mohegan’s Battle Plan for Cybersecurity

In This Episode

Mark Rosa opens with an overview of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment’s massive reach, from Connecticut to Korea. Despite global expansion, the organization remains deeply rooted in its tribal culture—the Spirit of Aquai—which emphasizes cooperation, respect, and community. This spirit doesn’t just guide guest services; it’s woven into the fabric of how Mohegan approaches security and resilience.

Mark shares how cybersecurity became his top focus when he moved from audit to IT leadership. Knowing the casino industry is a prime target, he immediately restructured leadership, deployed best-of-breed tools, and implemented zero trust principles. However, Mark is quick to point out that true resilience isn’t just about technology—it's about continuous testing, training, and preparation. He discusses their “live-fire” cybersecurity exercises that tested the organization’s recovery processes under pressure, offering rare insights into how large-scale organizations can practice incident response realistically.

Transparency emerges as a critical theme. Mark explains that within the gaming industry, CIOs and CISOs often collaborate behind closed doors to share lessons learned from breaches like MGM’s. Even though legal limitations can restrict public disclosures during an active incident, post-mortem knowledge-sharing has become essential to raising the cybersecurity bar for everyone in the sector.

Finally, the conversation turns to AI. Mark is cautiously optimistic about AI’s role across operations—from digital guest assistants reducing call center load to cybersecurity tools enhancing threat detection. However, in a highly regulated industry like gaming, careful deployment is key. Mark shares how Mohegan is embracing AI internally while maintaining strict control over security and compliance. His goal: not just to keep pace, but to lead.