Summer Scratch

What is Summer Scratch?

“Publicly traded valuations are a reflection of the current interest rate environment,” Chad Beynon, lead gaming analyst for Macquarie, told iGB. “Whether it’s a long-term financial model on a growth company, you’re going to discount that back at a higher rate, or if it’s just a standard four-wall business, the cash flows in a higher interest rate environment are worth less.”

According to data from Yahoo Finance, the resort and casino sector is -41% over the last five years, and the overall gambling sector, which includes major sportsbooks and online operators, is +7%; the benchmark S&P 500 index, by comparison, is +71% during that span.

Two blockbuster developments in the casino space earlier this year seemed to indicate an increasingly bullish bet on the sector, including Fertitta Entertainment’s acquisition of Caesars Entertainment in May. The other is a subsequent takeover offer of MGM Resorts from its largest shareholder, Barry Diller’s People Inc. But a negative shift in market conditions could affect both deals.

About Summer Scratch

NetEnt also attaches its Elevate suite of paid bonus-entry and feature-boost options

NetEnt also attaches its Elevate suite of paid bonus-entry and feature-boost options. That reflects the wider industry move toward giving players direct routes into bonus play rather than waiting for natural triggers.

For NetEnt, now part of Evolution’s game-supply operation, Demon Beats fits a pattern. The studio tends to iterate on proven mechanical families rather than pivot into adjacent categories such as crash or instant-win formats. The Avalanche engine is a durable part of the studio’s identity, and returning to it positions Demon Beats as a portfolio continuation rather than an experiment.

About Summer Scratch

Counsell took the helm in February 2025 following Marcus Boyle’s departure in January last year.

Evans, who chairs Stop Scams UK, an initiative she founded in 2019 to unite banks, technology companies and telecom providers to combat payment fraud, will assume the position on 30 September, commencing a five-year term.

The DCMS has said she brings extensive experience from her long-standing career in public protection and financial crime prevention.