Sigma Derby At The D
The fandom around Sigma Derby is somewhat baffling because it’s so intense but not widespread. There are only two casinos with Sigma Derby games on their casino floors in Las Vegas. The Sigma Derby games at MGM Grand and The D are almost always full with players having almost way too much fun – even for Vegas. The Sigma Derby game was taken off the casino floor at MGM Grand recently and the Vegas interwebs exploded between a general concern for the future of the game to conspiracy theories on its location.
I’m happy to report that Sigma Derby has returned to the casino floor at MGM Grand after a tune up and some repairs. If you’re one of the people that love the game you can exhale. Why is Sigma Derby so popular and why isn’t it popular at all? After all, a game with such intense popularity in two casinos could be popular in more casinos. Right? Maybe. We’ll look at that later.
Here’s a quick overview of Sigma Derby if you’re unfamiliar with the game like 99% of people that visit Las Vegas. Sigma Derby is a coin operated mechanical horse race game that was introduced in 1985. The year the game was introduced seems to be a bit modern as the game plays as though it’s from 1965. The horses bounce and chug around the track guided by magnets underneath the track.
Sigma Derby Track at The D
The goal of winning the game is to pick the first two horses to win each race. There are 5 horses and a total of 10 2-horse combinations to choose from. The odds for each combination are shown on around the track and pay a different amount every race. You can wager on as many or as few combinations as you want. Each credit is $0.25 and you can only play with quarters. Don’t worry, you can exchange bills for quarters at change machines near each game. If you pick the winning combination you’ll win the game. Your betting station is a quarter per credit which you can cash out when you’re done. It’s that simple.
There’s only 30 seconds in between each race so there’s almost always action at the Sigma Derby machines. Each machine has seating for 10 people when the game is completely operational. Unfortunately, this 30-year-old game goes down for repairs more often than anyone would like. Since the availability of these machines is so limited it’s not easy to find replacement parts.
Sigma Derby is one of the few coin-operated games you’ll find in Las Vegas. In fact, it’s the only coin-operated game you’ll find in either MGM Grand or The D. The nostalgia of hearing quarters clanking around when winners cash out is a big part of what makes the game so popular. The rabid fan base for this game has blogs dedicated to keeping track of the game, facebook groups and an intense fandom on Twitter. The passion for Sigma Derby runs deep. Its popularity is similar to classic cult movies such as “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Night Of The Living Dead.”
A game with this kind of minimal but obsessive popularity could only be in two casinos in Las Vegas. Sigma Derby could never be as popular if there was a mass appeal to the game. There might be room for another Sigma Derby game in Las Vegas but a greater availability might make the game less of a cult classic and a little too mainstream.
New versions of Sigma Derby have been hit casino floors in the past 30 years but haven’t caught on in popularity. There’s something special about playing this mechanical game with quarters and the horses bouncing around the racetrack that can’t be replicated. There’s a small but loud market for this kind of vintage casino game.
No matter how silly you find the game, its fandom is a sight to behold. While the majority of businesses in Las Vegas are changing to meet demands of younger customers, Sigma Derby has 20 seats in two casinos in different parts of town that appeal to a more nostalgic customer.
