Something about that Slot Machine Horse Racing Game – Stumbling Upon Sigma Derby While in Downtown Las Vegas

A recent post-midnight jaunt to Downtown Las Vegas led me to the vintage gaming area on the second floor of The D Hotel and Casino. The first thing I heard as I approached the myriad of old-school coin operated slot machines was a voice yelling “c’mon two-three, c’mon two-three!” Surely I had heard this type of exclamation many a time at the race and sports book or perhaps walking by a craps table, but at a quarter past midnight on the second floor of The D? The reason for heading to The D in the first place was to check out the Long Bar on the main floor. I headed upstairs to simply snap a couple of photos of the sports book for a future review. I had no idea that I was going to spend the next two hours having a heck of a good time.

Turns out I wasn’t hearing things, and the sports book at The D (operated by William Hill) certainly wasn’t simulcasting Australian horse races into the wee hours. The “c’mon two-three!” as well as a lot of other noise and laughter was coming from the crowd seated around the Sigma Derby machine. Sigma Derby is a throwback coin operated horse racing game that was pretty much facing extinction until The D placed one in their second floor vintage game area. It is only one of two Sigma Derby machines in town – the other can be found at the MGM Grand.

Beginning February 28, the D Las Vegas will saddle up as the first Downtown Las Vegas casino to feature the new-to-market Fortune Cup mechanical horse racing game. Created by Konami Gaming, Inc. It’s time to take your game to a whole new level. Here at the D Casino Hotel, we’re raising the stakes on fun. So, put your game face on and get ready to play! Whether you prefer slots or tables, you’ll find a tremendous selection of your favorite games. The D has replaced nearly all of their coin-operated slots with TITO technology. They are, however, the last property in Las Vegas to offer the coin-operated Sigma Derby horse racing game. Make stopping over a priority as Sigma is notoriously challenging to maintain. In Las Vegas games begin around 10 a.m., 1 p.m. Since the first time slot has the most games, there are usually more people looking to place wagers. There are lines beginning to form as early as 8 a.m. On an NFL Sunday. This might be a horse racing game but it ain’t Sigma Derby. Fortune Cup is the most realistic horse racing game to land in casinos. This game has eight mechanical horses that move smoothly and flexibly across the track, passing one another, crisscrossing formations, and switching directions. Horse racing fans should be impressed by the movement.

An occasional video poker or video blackjack session while watching a sporting event at one of the casino bars is the extent of my slot play. However, being a horse racing fan combined with the fact that there is no sports book action happening at “12-something” in the morning, the thought of joining this Sigma-Derby party was intriguing. Little did I realize how much fun I would have not only playing the game, but interacting with several of the folks sitting in on the fun – I made friends and enjoyed libations with folks from California, Minnesota, and Maryland. And as it turns out, this Sigma Derby thing has a bit of a cult following – a Sigma Derby Facebook group has been created for fans of the game to interact.

The concept is simple – you choose an exacta (a two horse combination that you hope will come in first and second) and then drop anywhere from 1 to 200 quarters on each exacta bet you make. Some combinations pay as high as 200-1, although during the time I spent at the Sigma Derby machine, the usual winning payoffs were in the 4-1 to 12-1 range with the highest being a 40-1 hit. Races (think of a miniature horse and jockey on a popsicle stick racing towards the finish line around an oval track) go off approximately every minute, so you can bet on every race – I was betting on every other race to make sure the fun lasted for awhile.

It should also be noted that the floor staff as well as the cocktail servers at The D were friendly and attentive. I thought we’d be forgotten on the second floor but servers came around often and were very quick with drink service, which certainly added to the fun. If you find yourself strolling through the much improved, yet still funky spots along Fremont Street, heading to the second floor of The D and spending some time making friends while enjoying Sigma Derby is surely something to try out.

T. Lorenzo

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Las Vegas Horse Racing Betting

Update: A fully operational Sigma Derby machine is now up for sale on eBay.

And then there was one. The beloved Sigma Derby game is now in only one US casino after MGM Grand removed their installation from the casino floor.

Now, the single remaining Sigma Derby game is at The D, the Las Vegas, Nevada, hotel located along downtown’s Fremont Street.

What is Sigma Derby?

Sigma Derby is a mechanical horse race game that was introduced in 1985.

The game has had ups and downs in popularity. The horse racing game was initially embraced, but that changed as gambling preferences evolved to newer games.

However, in the past 10 years or so, Sigma Derby saw a resurgence in popularity with a near cultlike audience.

Sigma Derby hit a special place in the hearts of casino guests. Unlike most games in casinos today, Sigma Derby is a coin-operated machine that’s a throwback to a different era of casino gambling.

The minimum wager for Sigma Derby is a quarter. Even more nostalgic, the machines haven’t been modified to accept dollars like many older games.

The mechanical toy horses in Sigma Derby don’t run smoothly. They bounce around the racetrack like they were born in the mid-1980s. Each game has 10 betting stations.

The low price to play in combination with the vintage feel, slow pace (90 seconds between races) and social environment made this game popular for gamblers looking for an inexpensive and fun time at the casino.

Las Vegas Horse Racing Tournaments

Why Did MGM Grand remove Sigma Derby?

Las Vegas was home to the last two Sigma Derby games in casinos. They’ve been a special attraction for years, and visitors would visit MGM Grand and The D specifically to play these games. Sadly, the end has been near for a while.

Sigma Derby, at MGM Grand, had been closed for repairs almost as much as it’s been operational over the past few years. MGM Grand has some dedicated technicians who tried to keep their Sigma Derby game working. Unfortunately, it was time to pull the plug.

Sigma Derby is more than 30 years old and no longer manufactured. Finding replacement parts to fix the game becomes more difficult every year. The game was breaking down so frequently and its parts are nearly impossible to find, thus keeping the game on the floor was a labor of love.

An unnamed source told Vital Vegas that MGM Grand has “done everything possible to prolong its active lifespan, but that’s simply no longer possible.”

Depending on the resource, Sigma Derby has a house edge for the casino of between 10 to 20 percent. Regardless of the house edge, the low limits can’t make Sigma Derby a very profitable game for MGM Grand.

The popular casino game lives on at The D

There’s only one Sigma Derby game remaining in a casino. The D Las Vegas has the game in the “Vintage Vegas” section of the casino along with numerous older slot machines.

“We’re proud to share that the D Las Vegas is now officially home to the only Sigma Derby horse-racing slot machine in Las Vegas, and one of the very few left in the world,” said Derek Stevens, owner of The D. “We look forward to welcoming even more guests from around the world to stop by and place a bet on their favorite horse.”

Horse Racing Game Las Vegas

Located next to Sigma Derby on the second floor is the Fortune Cup horse racing game. This isn’t a vintage game like most of the other games in this section of the casino. Fortune Cup is the latest horse racing game to hit casinos and offers an alternative to those looking to bet on plastic ponies.

Fortune Cup is a bit too slick for the most diehard Sigma Derby fans. The horses run smoothly, the video betting stations can seem complicated and there’s just a lack of kitsch found with the older horse racing game.

However, Fortune Cup offers the amenities that many casino customers are looking for an electronic game today. Best of all, like Sigma Derby, it’s located close to the Vue Bar at The D.

Fortune Cup can be found in many casinos around the country, but its popularity is hit and miss.

While it outperforms slot machines in some casinos, it remains empty in others. The experience isn’t the same as Sigma Derby, but it’s sufficient for some gamblers looking for a change.