William Hill gets into virtual reality gambling

Major UK online and land gambling group William Hill plc showcased its progress in developing Virtual Reality gambling products at its research facility in Shoreditch this week, BBC News reports.

The initial applications feature horse racing, using either Google Cardboard or Oculus Rift technology to provide the user with a comprehensive VR experience backed by commentary. Using the headsets combined with GPS racetrack data, users can turn and look at other horses as well as activating an on-screen data display about the horse’s heart rate, stride and race position.

To test the possibilities, the team at William Hill labs built a 3D mock-up of Kempton Park racecourse and collected live data, via GPS trackers fitted on horses, during a training race at the course, a spokesman revealed.

The project includes the introduction of a variety of race courses and live races in 2016, with the in-house development lab hoping to have a proof-of-concept system ready by Christmas, a spokesman revealed.

The plan is to launch the service as part of the William Hill app, the BBC report claims, noting that users can choose an option to watch the race as a standard video or watch it through the eyes of the jockey.

The technology could also be available in some betting shops, while Google Cardboard headsets will likely to be given out free at racecourses to promote the new channel.

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