A premier online sportsbook destination for more than 25 years, BetOnline has something for everyone. In addition to their expansive sportsbook, the organization’s website also offers poker and an online casino as well. While the company prides itself on providing the latest gaming information, they also have made a consistent effort to push the envelope when it comes to their industry. For instance, earlier this month the organization made history in the gaming industry by becoming the first company to accept wagers surrounding a coin flip from space according to a report from the GlobeNewswire.
Here SBS will break down this landmark event and all that went into BetOnline’s “stellar” achievement.
Per the report from GlobeNewswire and also Forbes, BetOnline collaborated with an organization called Sent Into Space, which is a high-altitude balloon operator. The company, led by scientists Dr. Alex Baker and Dr. Chris Rose, worked with BetOnline in an effort to put together the launch of the first bet from beyond Earth’s atmosphere. This was not the first foray for Sent Into Space as the organization has collaborated with numerous top brands from Pixar to Burger King. In fact, Sent Into Space has put together more than 500 successful flights since its establishment.
According to Dr. Rose from Sent Into Space, the organization was intrigued and excited to partner with BetOnline on this new endeavor.
“When BetOnline approached Sent Into Space last year with the idea of placing the first bet in space, it was all hands on deck to make this novel concept come to fruition,” Dr. Rose said in the GlobeNewswire piece. “Not only did they manage to conceptualize this incredible feat, they also achieved a world record in the process.”
Per the report from GlobeNewswire and Joshua Barton from Odd PR, the first-ever wager from outer space was a two-pronged approach that required months of preparation. In the first of two launches, a spinning coin bearing the BetOnline logo was sent 20 miles above the atmosphere, stopping only once the aircraft returned to Earth several hours after launch. For the second launch, a rocketed spacecraft with an iPad and robotic arm were sent into the atmosphere. In the second launch, the iPad provided a live feed of the BetOnline website in space by using a two-way network bridge. To complete the transaction, a highly-dexterous mechanical arm with a stylus placed a bet on the outer space coin toss in real time.
According to the article, the coin toss bet was called at random using a random number generator with unpredictable inputs from the environmental sensor readings. This was the process put together to ensure the outcome was impossible to predict in advance. Though the outcome of the coin flip had already been privately recorded, BetOnline customers on Earth had the opportunity to place wagers on the proposition. The result was set to coincide with National Space Day earlier this month on Friday, May 6th. According to BetOnline, the “first bet in space” initiative is currently submitted to the Guinness World Records organization for verification.
In addition to this ambitious wagering endeavor, BetOnline has made a habit of finding new ways to place bets and utilizing emerging currencies. For example, in the past BetOnline made history by becoming the first company to place a wager on top of Mount Everest. Also earlier this year, the company became the first sportsbook outlet to add ApeCoin, a popular cryptocurrency, to its cache of crypto currencies accepted.
After you have read up on the latest news from BetOnline, you should also check out our SBS expert review of BetOnline to see all the sportsbook has to offer. Here you can find the latest promotions, contests and information related to the site. Also with cryptocurrency being mentioned above, SBS has even more information on the topic with our guide on payment options accepted at various online sportsbooks. In fact, we have an entire page dedicated to cryptocurrency wagering online which is a fantastic tool to become familiar with.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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