Classic Sigma Derby Game Returns to Las Vegas in a New Form

One of Las Vegas's longest-running casino cult games is coming back. A newly produced version of Sigma Derby, the mechanical horse racing game that once drew crowds in Nevada casinos, will go into service next year at the Four Queens on Fremont Street. This installation will be the first new Sigma Derby machine put into service in decades.

The game was introduced in 1985 by Sigma Game Inc. in Japan. Until the late 1990s it was a fixture of Las Vegas casinos and built a loyal following by offering a social experience rarely found on conventional slot machines. However, maintaining the aging machines became increasingly difficult as replacement parts grew harder to find, and nearly all of the original units were removed from casino floors.

The last remaining machine is currently at the neighboring Golden Gate casino. Players are still drawn to it for its mechanical action and its pari-mutuel style betting structure. The machine's history is also notable: while it was operating at the Frontier it was taken out and placed in storage, then found and restored after Derek Stevens acquired the Fitzgeralds, and in 2012 it became a showpiece on the vintage-themed second floor of the property, reopened as The D.

This summer Stevens moved the machine from The D to the Golden Gate, which he also owns. A parade was held on Fremont Street to mark the move. The new Sigma Derby was unveiled last month at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. According to industry reports, the replica was so indistinguishable from the original that some attendees mistook it for a restored antique.

Placing the new machine at the Four Queens is no coincidence. The property's owner, Terry Caudill, is also the founder and owner of Next Gaming, one of three companies that made the return of Sigma Derby to the market possible. Next Gaming partnered with Highbrow Gaming and VSR Industries to develop the updated game.

While the game's appearance remains largely unchanged, the technology behind it has been updated. The new machine includes ticket-in and ticket-out functionality, bill acceptance, and a digital display showing previous winning horses. Players can bet from 25 cents up to 5 dollars, and operators can set the game's theoretical return to player between 86 and 94 percent.