Pinata Fiesta

About Pinata Fiesta

“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.

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Gill, who joined from the market research company Savanta, is leading Spotlight’s technology and engineering across the group with a focus on engaging new audiences.

“As Racing Post enters its 40th year, there is a real opportunity to use technology to engage new audiences, deepen the value we deliver to operators and make AI a practical capability across the business,” Gill commented.

 In January, Spotlight outlined its 2026 Racing Innovation strategy, featuring two product releases.

About Pinata Fiesta

As seen in many markets, especially in LatAm, local Peruvian brands and their cultural knowledge are facing competition from international operators that often bring bigger scale in terms of technology and capital.

For Ramiro Atucha, founder and CEO of Atucha Strategic Advisory, whether international operators can press home their scalable advantages will depend on how seriously they take localisation.

“When we talk about localisation, we’re not talking about the language or doing a game about Machu Picchu,” he tells iGB. “We’re talking about taking the effort to understand what the history of those players is, what they’re used to.