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How to play Blackstar BEAM
For all the hoopla surrounding prediction markets and expectations that the industry will eat away at sportsbooks’ NFL handle this season, the old guard industry is expected to control nearly 80% of pro football wagers this year.
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) estimates that bettors will plunk down $40.5 billion on the NFL this season through regulated channels. Traditional sportsbooks are projected to capture $31.7 billion of that total, compared to a handle analog of $8.4 billion for prediction markets—a 79% to 21% split in favor of legacy operators.
Handle analog is a metric used as a cleaner comparison between sportsbooks and prediction markets because the latter’s volume doesn’t compare evenly with sportsbook handle.
How to play Blackstar BEAM
Beynon says sports betting companies have suffered particularly badly because the market is questioning both future earnings and the size of the eventual opportunity. More iGaming-focused companies such as Rush Street Interactive and Super Group have generally performed better operationally, helped by stronger earnings growth and profitability.
The lesson is simple: gambling still attracts capital when the money is visible. It is less attractive when the payoff lies far in the distance.
The biggest new uncertainty in US sports betting is prediction markets. The American Gaming Association estimates that Americans will legally wager $29.5 billion in betting handle through US regulated commercial sportsbooks during the 2026 NFL season, broadly unchanged from the $29.4 billion handle recorded in 2025. These figures refer to the amount wagered, not sportsbook revenue.
What is Blackstar BEAM?
The more distinctive layer is the game’s use of 2×2 colossal symbols and a Battle feature, in which colossal and Wild symbols land to cover a Battle symbol after a non-winning spin. These additions don’t reinvent NetEnt’s math. They extend the cascade model with bigger blocks and a triggered mini-sequence, keeping the release familiar to players who know the studio’s earlier Avalanche games.
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.
