System, method and apparatus for virtual reality gaming with selectable viewpoints and context-sensitive wager interfaces
A gaming system includes an input interface, an output interface and processing circuitry. A data stream defining a VR environment is transmitted by the processing circuitry to a VR headset. The VR headset displays visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from a first viewpoint. The processing circuitry receives an input indicative of a selection of a second viewpoint and directs the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from the second viewpoint.
1. A gaming system comprising:
a virtual reality (VR) headset;
an input interface configured to receive data from an input device;
an output interface configured to transmit data to the virtual reality (VR) headset; and
processing circuitry configured to:
transmit, to the VR headset via the output interface, a data stream defining a VR environment;
direct the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from a first viewpoint from within a sportsbook venue tracking a plurality of different sporting events, the first viewpoint including a first betting interface, the first betting interface including one or more wager characteristics enabled in the first viewpoint;
receive, from a player wearing the VR headset and via the input interface, an input indicative of a selection of a second viewpoint from within a venue in which one of the plurality of different sporting events is occurring; and
direct the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting a VR environment seen from the second viewpoint including a second betting interface, the second betting interface including one or more different wager characteristics enabled in the second viewpoint.
2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the second viewpoint is from a player in the one of the plurality of different sporting events and the second betting interface includes wagers on one of an occurrence or an outcome of a particular incident during the sporting event.
3. The gaming system of claim 1 , the second viewpoint is from a participant in the one of the plurality of different sporting events and the second betting interface includes wagers on one of an occurrence or an outcome of a particular incident during the sporting event.
4. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the first betting interface includes wagers on sporting events tracked by the sportsbook venue, and wherein the second viewpoint is from a position at the one of the plurality of different sporting events and the second betting interface includes wagers on one of an occurrence or an outcome of a particular incident during the sporting event.
5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the input device is the VR headset.
6. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the wager characteristics comprise custom-defined wagers.
7. The gaming system of claim 6 , wherein the wager characteristics further comprise dynamically-generated custom odds associated with the custom-defined wagers.
8. A gaming system comprising:
a virtual reality headset;
an input interface configured to receive data from an input device;
an output interface configured to transmit data to the VR headset; and
processing circuitry configured to:
transmit, to the VR headset via the output interface, a data stream defining a VR environment;
direct the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from a first viewpoint from within a sportsbook venue tracking a plurality of different sporting events, the depicted VR environment including
a plurality of selectable viewpoints;
receive, from a player wearing the VR headset and via the input interface, an input indicative of a selection of a second viewpoint from the plurality of selectable viewpoints, the second viewpoint being from within a venue in which one of the plurality of different sporting events is occurring;
direct the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting a VR environment seen from the second viewpoint; and
receive, from the player wearing the VR headset via the input interface, an input indicative of a wager associated with the VR environment seen from the second viewpoint.
9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the venue comprises a sports arena.
10. The gaming system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first viewpoint or the second viewpoint includes view-scanning capability based on movement of the VR headset.
11. The gaming system of claim 8 , further comprising a wagering game server connected to a communications network, and wherein the data stream defining the VR environment is accessed through the wagering game server via the communications network.
12. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the second viewpoint is from a spectator seat in a sports arena or the second viewpoint is from a participant in one of the plurality of sporting events.
13. A method of controlling a gaming system, the gaming system including a virtual reality (VR) headset, an input interface configured to receive data from an input device, an output interface configured to transmit data to the VR headset, and processing circuitry connected to the input and output interfaces, the method comprising:
authenticating, by the processing circuitry, an identifier associated with a player activating the VR headset, and storing the identifier in a memory device;
transmitting, to the VR headset via the output interface, a data stream defining a VR environment;
directing, via the processing circuitry, the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from a first viewpoint from within a sportsbook venue tracking a plurality of different sporting events, the first viewpoint including a visual presentation of a first betting interface, the first betting interface including one or more wager characteristics enabled in the first viewpoint;
receiving, from the player wearing the VR headset via the input interface, an input indicative of a selection of a second viewpoint, the second viewpoint being from within a venue in which one of the plurality of different sporting events is occurring;
directing, via the processing circuitry, the VR headset to display visual imagery depicting a VR environment seen from the second viewpoint including a visual presentation of a second betting interface, the second betting interface including one or more different wager characteristics enabled in the second viewpoint;
receiving, from the player wearing the VR headset via the input interface, an input indicative of a wager corresponding to at least one of the one or more different wager characteristics; and
associating, via the processing circuitry, the wager with the stored identifier.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gaming system further comprises a wagering game server connected to a communications network, and wherein the data stream defining the VR environment is accessed through the wagering game server via the communications network.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the wagering game server includes an account file associated with the player that stores data representing exchangeable value, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to debit the exchangeable value in exchange for at least displaying the visual imagery depicting the VR environment seen from the second viewpoint.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sportsbook venue is computer-generated by one or more processors executing stored instructions.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first viewpoint or the second viewpoint comprises streaming video content of a real-time event accessed through a wagering game server via a communications network.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wager characteristics comprise custom-defined wagers.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the wager characteristics further comprise dynamically-generated custom odds associated with the custom-defined wagers.