Land Of Riches

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For the gaming industry, the marked economic shift over the course of 2026 and a return to an elevated interest-rate environment after years of post-Covid easing could dissipate some of the optimism that prevailed at the onset of this year.

Many top gaming stocks have underperformed relative to the broader market in recent years, and most of the M&A activity has been facilitated by private equity and other institutions that can more readily capitalise on depressed valuations. There had been hope that rates would start to fall and help alleviate those pressures.

“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.”

About Land Of Riches

That study found that AI adoption across the gambling industry remained uneven. It highlighted customer support, data analytics, fraud detection, and responsible gaming as areas where the technology was already being heavily used.

However, it also found that formal governance of AI was struggling to keep pace with its growing usage. Only a minority of organizations surveyed reported having a formal AI strategy or roadmap. Many said one remained in development.

The MGA also found that only a small number of respondents had fully established AI risk assessment processes or incident-response plans.

About Land Of Riches

At the same time, problem and pathological gambling rates among Singaporean adults have remained stable, with the rate declining notably between 2023 and 2025. As the spokesperson puts it, the model blends “two objectives together: generating tourism and economic benefits while making responsible gambling and social safeguards central to the model”.

The model is also evolving beyond gaming. RWS’ S$6.8 billion RWS 2.0 transformation is expanding its mix of attractions, hospitality, retail and lifestyle offerings, with the aim to “broaden the appeal of the destination and encourage repeat visitation”.

Ultimately, the operator says, the long-term success of an IR depends on “a broader mix of hospitality, entertainment, lifestyle and attraction offerings” rather than gaming alone.