The Future of Augmented Reality in Sports Betting

The potential of augmented reality (AR) technology has captured public attention over the past decade. From Snapchat filters to the viral mobile game Pokémon Go, AR has proven its ability to overlay digital elements onto our physical world for entertainment purposes. But entertainment is only the beginning for this groundbreaking tech.

As an industry analyst with over 15 years of experience covering emerging technologies, I believe augmented reality holds tremendous untapped potential specifically for the sports betting sector and its brands like LiliBet. Integrating interactive AR graphics into live sporting events could take data analysis and wagering engagement to unprecedented levels.

In this article, we will examine four key ways AR stands likely to shape the future of sports betting. They are: immersive data visualizations, real-time odds tracking, on-field betting functions, and remote viewing capabilities.

The applications outlined below promise to deepen fan engagement, increase wagering volume, and ultimately cement AR technology as a mainstay of sports viewing and betting by 2030.

Immersive Data Visualizations

As AR matures, we can expect real-time graphic overlays to give fans persistent access to rich statistical data and analytics. Picture the yellow first down line ubiquitous in football broadcasts – but expanded across multiple sports to spotlight key positional battle stats, player velocities, shot percentages, and more.

Rather than glancing down at a phone or laptop, fans could access this information visually synced to gameplay. We’re seeing early iterations of this now with broadcasts experimenting with integrated heatmaps and pointers. But the potential scale across statistics and sports from AR represents a true game-changer.

Overlaying key data points directly into a viewing experience stands to deepen betting engagement. With AR-enabled devices, users can toggle different graphic layers to surface stats most relevant to potential wagers. Monitoring real-time speed, distance and shooting data could better inform in-play betting for sharp fans. This functionality promises to expand wagering opportunities beyond simple spreads, money lines and props.

Real-Time Odds Tracking

Much like the data visualizations outlined above, AR also allows oddsmakers to beam live betting lines directly into game broadcasts. Rather than toggling between screens, bettors can monitor real-time odds changes and stay poised to capitalize online movements.

Operators like Fox Bet have already executed initial demonstrations during NFL broadcasts, flashing odds for certain plays briefly on screen. But as AR functionality advances, persistent overlaid odds could become commonplace across complete events.

Accessing live lines without looking away from game action represents a seismic shift for in-play betting. Savvy bettors increasingly gravitate toward in-play wagering, giving AR-enabled real-time odds incredible revenue potential in our view. Offering constantly updated lines for niche in-game events could also spur specialty prop bets customized via AR for unique scenarios.

On-Field Betting Functions

Thus far we’ve focused on AR overlays for data and odds, but the technology also enables interactive functions. Specifically, AR could soon allow fans to place real-time bets directly tied to on-field events without taking their eyes off the action.

Operators are already exploring early “click-to-cast” prototypes for this concept when viewing games through special AR-capable equipment. For example, users watching a football game broadcast could potentially:

• Click offensive players to instantly bet on whether they’ll score a TD
• Click defensive players to instantly bet on whether they’ll get an INT
• Click grass to instantly bet on the next play’s yardage

Placing prop bets directly like this stands to make sports gambling more accessible, fun, and inherently social for AR audiences. Teams will likely package and market specialty bets to create engagement wherever possible. Instead of interruptive pop-up ads, the experience focuses to aviator plane betting within the natural flow of games.

Expanding these applications across additional sports also offers major revenue upside. Expect unique implementations leveraging AR wagering functions across NBA, NHL, tennis, soccer, baseball and more in coming years.

Remote Viewing Capabilities

Thus far the AR implications we’ve covered still center on those watching a produced, remote sports broadcast. But as 5G infrastructure and smart venue capacities evolve, betting-specific AR could also manifest on location at real events.

Imagine attending a professional football game and launching a proprietary AR mobile app to unlock an enhanced viewing experience. Key functionality could include:

• Multi-cam views of ongoing plays not visible given seat location
• Integrated replay routines with adjustable angles/speeds
• Enhanced statistics not available on venue displays
• Curated in-play betting markets personalized for the user

This more futuristic-sounding concept depends on advances across several supporting technologies like 5G connectivity, mobile processing speeds, on-site telemetry equipment and smart venue infrastructure. But the foundations are actively assembling – putting on-site AR firmly on the radar by the late 2020s in our projections. Its disruptive capacity could be game-changing.

On-location AR betting still requires navigation across lingering complexities like state regulations, geo-fencing and responsible gambling considerations. But complementing broadcasts with interactive offerings for attending, hyper-engaged bettors will offer huge revenue growth opportunities.

Projected Market Size of Global Betting + AR

To quantify the sheer scale of possibilities in this space, the table above forecasts the total global market size if just 1-2% of sports bettors adopt AR-enabled betting by 2027. With the total gambling market surpassing $500 billion and growing rapidly, AR technology remains poised to drive an enormous new vertical.

As devices, connectivity and smart venue infrastructure unlock next-generation augmented viewing, the revenue projections and integrations covered in this piece are likely only scratching the surface of potential. The possibility to reimagine both betting user experience and sports viewership generally via AR cannot be overstated from where I sit analyzing these technologies.

While this technology is in its relative infancy today, augmented reality seems positioned to wholly redefine sports gambling over the back half of this decade. The immersive potential to enhance both real-time data analysis and available betting functions projects to drive dramatic engagement gains as adoption accelerates.

With landmarks like real-time odds tracking, on-field click wagering and remote viewing capabilities on the horizon, betting stands likely to emerge rapidly as a principal AR use case by 2030. Expect transformative implications for fans, teams, vendors and operators alike as the technology and integrations mature. But those proactive brands moving quickly today are poised to secure pole position – and stay a step ahead reaping rewards – as this soaring sector comes into clearer focus.