Canadians could claim up to $20,000 as part of multimillion-dollar settlement

Canadians who were impacted by a data breach could claim a chunk of a massive class-action settlement.

On Friday, Diamond and Diamond Lawyers LLP announced that the Supreme Court of British Columbia has certified a class action regarding a data incident in July 2019 involving MGM Resorts International.

The proposed $4-million settlement, which is related to data incidents in July 2019 and September 2023, is still subject to court approval.

According to court filings for a class action in the United States, lawyers said more than 37 million customers of MGM Resorts International were impacted by a cyberattack in July 2019 and a ransomware attack in September 2023.

MGM Casino guests' names, addresses, passport numbers and more were stolen by hackers in the July 2019 data breach. The ransomware attack in September 2023 gave hackers access to the same information as well as driver's licence numbers, military ID numbers and Social Security numbers.

"MGM denies all allegations and liability. No court has found MGM liable. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the risk and expense of continued litigation," noted the law firm.

Who's eligible for this proposed settlement?

According to the law firm, anyone in Canada (excluding Quebec), whose "information was exposed to unauthorized parties or otherwise compromised in or as a result of the 2019 data incident," is eligible to claim a part of the proposed settlement.

Canadians who live in Quebec still have a chance to get compensation in two other class actions filed in the province. Those settlements are also still subject to approval. You can find the details on the class action site.

How much can you claim?

MGM will pay $4 million to resolve the Canadian class actions relating to both the 2019 and 2023 data incidents.

After class counsel fees, disbursements, and administration costs, the remaining funds will go towards the following:

• The reimbursement of one year of future credit monitoring expenses with up to $1 million in fraud/identity theft insurance (if requested by the claimant).
• Compensation for substantiated losses up to $20,000 per approved claim.
• Compensation for unsubstantiated losses: up to $150 for members included in only one of the data incidents or up to $300 for members of both data incidents.

The law firm says amounts may be adjusted up or down pro rata depending on the number and value of approved claims, up to maximums of $500 (if included in only one of the data incidents) or $1,000 (if included in both data incidents).

The settlement approval hearing for this class action is on May 25. Canadians who think they're eligible for this class action will be automatically included, unless they opt out by May 19.

You could be eligible for more than one of the class actions against MGM Resorts International in Canada, depending on where you live and the data incident involved. Check the class action site for details on the other settlements.