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Virtual Reality Sports Betting
Explore the pros and cons of betting on sporting events in virtual reality
Any player of real money games is almost certainly going to have placed a bet on their favorite sport at some point. Betting on outcomes of sporting events is one of the most popular forms of gambling for many reasons. Two of the most important being:
1. Sports betting gives punters a chance to make winning bets based on a level of skill and knowledge.
2. Once you’ve placed a bet, there are normally always options for watching your chosen event live.
We know all about the advantages of placing bets where knowledge can help determine the outcome, but it’s the second point we’ll focus on here. Watching a live sporting event when you have a bet riding on the outcome can definitely give some extra interest.
Watching live has obvious benefits. But it also opens up a whole new facet of sports betting that’s going to explode in coming years – and that’s when gambling in virtual reality finally goes mainstream. You may have read about it, and you may have seen the new VR headsets and games. It’s still early days, but here we’ll take a look at just what could be on offer from virtual reality sports betting when the technology eventually becomes strong enough.
How Can Virtual Reality Enhance The Sports Betting Experience?
We can pretty much answer this question by examining exactly what virtual reality is…….
”the computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted within a seemingly real or physical way, by a person using special electronic equipment such as a helmet with a screen inside or gloves fitted with sensors.”
In a nutshell this means that by donning a virtual reality headset, you can effectively be transported into a world that will feel as real as it possibly could without you actually being there in person.
To take the virtual reality concept (and how it relates to sports betting) a step further, consider the 2017 premier league opening game. It’s Spurs vs Man City, and you’ve placed a bet.
Now you put on your VR headset, and state of the art 360 degree cameras place you right at the heart of the action. It’s like you’re really there pitching in with the players. How great is that?
Even now, there are ways to play virtual poker and real money casino games in virtual reality, and it doesn’t take a lot of thought to work out how this could also be applied to sports betting on events such as horse racing, NFL games (some major games have already been streamed in VR), basketball or football matches, or tennis contests. In fact, pretty much any sport you can think of.
Sounds Great! When Is It All Coming?
So I said it’s still early days for VR. The main headsets are expensive. Some need costly and powerful PCs to run on, some can work in standalone mode. Overall the best of these solutions will set you back in the region of $1600 – $2000, but headset costs are coming down and good quality models can be obtained now for a few hundred dollars.
But the Samsung Gear VR is much more affordable at under $100, plus it works with a Samsung smartphone so no need for additional hardware (for Samsung owners anyway).
With the volumes of users growing, so will the focus from the betting operators who will surely be considering already how they can bring virtual reality betting into their standard offering.’
It’s just a matter of time!
In the meantime, what other options are there for Virtual Sports Betting?
Of course, betting of any type online is virtual in a sense. You can place bets on any sporting event you choose, and often go on to watch the event live. William Hill sports betting is great for this and you can always trust an operator like WillHill with your cash deposits and winnings.
One other growing area of sports betting is in virtual sports – the type that are played out by computer-generated programs. These are fast-paced and can be fun, and the graphics are so advanced now that it feels as if you’re watching a real world event.
Summary | Conclusion – + The Pros & Cons
Virtual reality is already here. There are plenty of games or VR experiences to enjoy provided you have a good enough headset. The pach for the introduction of gambling into virtual reality is clear. VR is already in use for casino gaming and poker games, and sports betting seems a great target for the its further use in other forms of real money gaming.
What we’re going to like about Virtual Reality sports betting
- Just about every form of sports betting could be handled in a VR environment
- VR offers stunning opportunities for players or bettors to get involved in the action of a game or contest, as if they were really there in the thick of it
- Advances in technology will increase the realism of the experiences
- Sportsbooks delivering a VR betting option will offer standard ranges of bonuses and promotions
What we may not like about VR sports betting
- Headset quality may lower the VR betting experience
- The actual wearing of a headset may not be comfortable for some punters