At the end of April I completed a shoot with a team of Milwaukee businessmen who are wagering success on fantasy and the public’s growing addiction to the social structure of the Internet today. Their business is The Skye Club – an online casino hosted within Second Life.
So, let’s back up. Second Life is a virtual world imagined and created by its residents. Take the computer program “The Sims,” bring it to the world wide web, and put it on steroids. Then add a little nostalgia for your high school days of Dungeons and Dragons, and you have Second Life. It’s a fantasy world where you can be your alter ego, and time and distance are no obstacle when your avatar can fly. You can travel the world in minutes, build your dream home, get married at the Eiffel Tower, catch the highlights on CNN, actually buy art at a virtual gallery, open the next Studio 54, or become the Donald Trump of the Second Life business world.
Though Paul and Greg had to scale back their available games at the Skye Club when internet gambling was outlawed, their real estate in Second Life is fabulous and at one time the duo had some of the highest traffic counts at their establishment. Now with the industry waging a campaign in Congress, backed by a powerful House member, to legalize online betting, The Skye Club is preparing to seek out investors to bring their club back to life in Second Life.
Best of luck, guys. I can’t wait to see what you do with the place!