European igaming giant Entain is developing a new “immersive” sports betting and gaming VR experience, which it will pilot later this year.
The project comes through a partnership between Entain and global media company Verizon Media and is the operator’s first-ever VR ‘sports club’ experience to be rolled out to customers.
The new product will be available on the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset. Once available for distribution, players will be able to access different VR experiences which will be available across the company’s international brands.
“We continually offer our customers a wide range of innovative and exciting experiences, and VR is an exciting opportunity for us to innovate in new ways.” said Sandeep Tiku, chief operating officer of Entain.
The new features will include live streaming of football matches, multi-player games and music as the business said it is taking strides towards a fully immersive offering.
“We know consumers are looking for more multi-dimensional experiences, in which the ability to place a bet is only one of the ways they want to enjoy themselves. So we want to wow them and give them better experiences than they’ve ever had before – and at the same time also use our cutting edge to technology to keep our players safe,” Tiku added.
Entain saw a 13% decrease in revenue in Q1 of 2021 driven by retail closures. However, the business did see significant growth in its online revenue, jumping 47% in the sports betting division and 23% in online gaming.
