William Hill Bets On Virtual Reality Racing
William Hill bets on virtual reality racing
1 October 2015
Anyone who has been to a racecourse will know the enjoyment when the horses pound towards the surface line.
But this thrill of the ride is something that lots of consumers who wager in shops or online do not experience.
Bookmaker William Hill is keen to recreate it with virtual reality innovation.
The UK's Gambling Commission stated that it would be monitoring innovations such as virtual reality to guarantee that they did not motivate excessive gambling.
Using virtual truth headsets, integrated with GPS racetrack information, it is offering clients the chance to see the race from the jockey's perspective.
"Currently you position a bet and not much occurs between that and the result," said Crispin Nieboer, William Hill's director of innovation.
"We desire to bring consumers closer to the sporting action, to experience the adventure of the trip."
To evaluate the possibilities, the group at William Hill laboratories developed a 3D mock-up of Kempton Park racecourse and gathered live information, through GPS trackers fitted on horses, throughout a training race at the course.
Combining the data produced a virtual race users can view by means of either Google Cardboard or an Oculus Rift.
The innovation is not yet available to the general public however was on program at an open day at the company's innovation laboratory in Shoreditch.
Users initially choose the horse they wish to race on. Accompanied by live commentary, users can turn and look at other horses along with activating a data screen about the horse's heart rate, stride and race position.
William Hill prepares to include more courses and live races next year.
William Hill bets on virtual reality racing
1 October 2015
Anyone who has been to a racecourse will know the enjoyment when the horses pound towards the surface line.
But this thrill of the ride is something that lots of consumers who wager in shops or online do not experience.
Bookmaker William Hill is keen to recreate it with virtual reality innovation.
The UK's Gambling Commission stated that it would be monitoring innovations such as virtual reality to guarantee that they did not motivate excessive gambling.
Using virtual truth headsets, integrated with GPS racetrack information, it is offering clients the chance to see the race from the jockey's perspective.
"Currently you position a bet and not much occurs between that and the result," said Crispin Nieboer, William Hill's director of innovation.
"We desire to bring consumers closer to the sporting action, to experience the adventure of the trip."
To evaluate the possibilities, the group at William Hill laboratories developed a 3D mock-up of Kempton Park racecourse and gathered live information, through GPS trackers fitted on horses, throughout a training race at the course.
Combining the data produced a virtual race users can view by means of either Google Cardboard or an Oculus Rift.
The innovation is not yet available to the general public however was on program at an open day at the company's innovation laboratory in Shoreditch.
Users initially choose the horse they wish to race on. Accompanied by live commentary, users can turn and look at other horses along with activating a data screen about the horse's heart rate, stride and race position.
William Hill prepares to include more courses and live races next year.