Global sports betting, gaming and interactive entertainment juggernaut Entain is bringing a whole new view to its horse racing presentation with the introduction of a 360-degree, immersive virtual reality experience.
The launch of this unique product is being spearheaded by Entain’s UK sports betting brand Coral, in conjunction with JockeyCam. This pioneering technology will allow punters the opportunity to take the reins and go head-to-head with other virtual riders while experiencing the thrill of what it is like to be a jump jockey. As part of the experience, racegoers will get to ride as one of seven jockeys.
The trial footage in the VR experience was filmed with a 360° high-definition camera mounted on the helmets of seven jockeys, who raced over two miles facing 11 fences at the prestigious Chepstow Racecourse.
JockeyCam organized the staging and filming of the race, with racehorses supplied by trainer Tim Vaughan. Seven professional jockeys were riding in the race, and race commentary was provided by Stewart Machin.
Entain Moving Into The Future Horse Racing Betting
This new technology is designed to showcase how Entain is bringing the sports betting and gaming industry into the future by investing in new products, interactive content and exciting experiences for the customer, such as VR, eSports and social mobile gaming.
The 360 VR horse racing experience was first experimented with via a 3D advertising display in London’s Piccadilly Lights during the Cheltenham Festival. This unique view of a horse race played a role in more than 40 percent bump of active customers at Coral during Cheltenham week.
“The growth and engagement in our UK sports brands shows just how powerful the combination of our core customer offer and immersive experiences can be,” Dominic Grounsell, Deputy Managing Director Digital at Entain, said in a statement. “We have a really exciting opportunity to do something different and, through our brands, are committed to reaching both new and existing customers in interesting, fresh and engaging ways.”
360 VR Horse Race Betting?
While this technolgy hasn’t moved into the betting realm yet, industry insiders anticipate that it won’t be long until that situation changes. Already, several top online betting sites offer wagering on virtual horse racing. As the 3D VR technology becomes more advanced, it will no doubt find its way into the betting world.
It’s big business after all. Last year, $12.2 was wagered on horse racing in the USA, the most since 2009 ($12.315 billion).
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