Amongst its panoply of offerings, ICE London this year featured a slew of virtual sports games from the world’s leading independent provider, GlobalBet, who offer these games exclusively on a business-to-business (B2B) basis. While their software is compatible with the latest VR devices and can, as such, be experienced immersively, the games are designed and delivered with traditional screen-based audiences in mind, as was explained to me at their stall on the south side of the ExCeL Centre.
They were running eye-catching virtual basketball at the time, to which I was drawn like a sports-crazed moth to a flame. It was explained to me that the games themselves run for mere minutes, with action generated based on observations of real play by human players for hyperrealism, and essentially are structured like a highlight show from a real match, so there is nothing but constant action and betting opportunities.
Bets can be placed in real time on a wide range of outcomes within the games. I was told that they are expanding into new markets and are currently very big in Italy as well as West Africa. They are considered a market leader in the field, with award-winning 3D artists working for them and AI running the show. Live commentaries are available in many different languages for additional player engagement, and GlobalBet already boasts over 8,000 land-based installations and integration into over 200 websites.
GlobalBet also offers split-screen functionality, with pre-recorded real sporting events being presented alongside their main virtual events products, and certain events such as basketball are viewable in 360 degrees using VR systems. For operators, they provide either a full POS virtual sports system capable of displaying across eight customisable channels, or a value hardwire option in full HD, which utilises HDMI for a lower-cost solution. Naturally, they also offer an analytics resource capable of generating advanced user statistics and business reports for operators. This includes an advisor system from GlobalBet themselves on how to optimise offerings to the public.
GlobalBet’s games run 24/7, year-round, and are never the same twice. Sports on offer include not only basketball, football, tennis and boxing events, but also horse-racing, greyhound racing, sprints, and even – yes, here’s the big one – camel racing! That one, tragically, was not on display this time around.
