Betfair unveils Google Glass-optimised sports betting product
Operator to launch new products specifically for the high-tech wearable technology later this year
Betfair has become the first online betting operator to embrace wearable technology by developing a Google Glass-optimised sports betting product which is set to be widely available in the coming months.
The operator is developing a number of bespoke products to be launched later this year and will incorporate the Google Glass technology into existing products as well as a specific ‘Glassware’ product.
The high-tech eyewear was launched in the UK for the first time a fortnight ago after the product had been available in the US market for over two years.
“We’ve been looking at wearables in general for a while, and looking into whether we could do something with it,” Betfair’s director of product innovation, Alex Deacon, told eGaming Review.
“We have optimised our mobile web sportsbook to work on Google Glass and will launch it soon when we’re completely happy with it,” he added. “We’ve got a nice, slick device through which we can start sticking information up for Glassware-using customers “ betting information, goal alerts, promos, market movers and so on.”
Betfair spokesman Barry Orr is to use the eyewear for the first time tomorrow during its TV betting slot on At the Races to provide viewers with odds as up-to-date as possible through a betting feed display betting to his eyes in real-time.
If successful the concept will be rolled-out across all the operator’s betting slots such as Channel 4’s Morning Line, Sky Sports news and RTE Ireland.
“TV viewers will now know that when they are listening to Betfair’s Barry Orr, they are listening to the most up to date odds and betting information available,” Deacon said.