Online gaming operator BetOnline.ag has announced that they have accepted the first-ever bet from outer space, in a collaboration with high-altitude balloon company Sent Into Space.
Even though the wager was placed on a simple coin flip, the setup and preparation were extensive–two separate spacecraft were launched, one with a spinning coin that traveled 20 miles above the Earth’s atmosphere, and the other with an iPad tablet and mechanical arm.
As the coin continued to spin, the second spacecraft broadcasted a live feed of the event via the iPad tablet. The robotic arm then used a stylus and chose a heads or tails selection in real time with the help of a random number generator. The result of the coin flip and subsequent wager have yet to be revealed, as BetOnline is planning to do so as part of a celebration for National Space Day on May 6. The company has allowed customers to make their own wagers on the high-altitude flip in the time being.
An application to Guinness World Records for the recognition of the first bet in space has already been submitted, according to the company.
Dr. Chris Rose and Dr. Alex Baker, the directors of Sent Into Space, said in a release that the project was over a year in the making, and that “it was all hands on deck to make this novel concept come to fruition.”
According to Dr. Baker, the project was Sent Into Space’s “most ambitious project to date,” and was only possible with “the development of highly complex technologies” coupled with BetOnline’s “otherworldly” creativity.
Sent Into Space has conducted over 500 successful launches, and has collaborated with companies such as Burger King and eBay.
BetOnline props director Adam Burns said in his own statement that the project was conceived out of a desire to “etch our brand in history with a record-breaking attempt.”
