The casino gaming world has evolved to include many unique choices for play. People can bet on virtual horse races, play skill-based games, and participate in various Asian games like Sic Bo. The rise of legal sports betting around the United States will particularly change the industry. Don’t forget about the assortment of games on sites like TheBingoOnline.com.
But there is one casino game that deserves to be noted, primarily because it is almost gone for good. This game is Sigma Derby, and it is a game that is currently available in only one casino in the world.
The Concept of the Game
Sigma Derby is a casino game that was designed by the Sigma Game Company out of Japan in 1985. The game involves a few points:
- A player will put in at least one quarter into a slot at a playing station.
- The player will then place one’s quarter bet on a quinella. This entails the two horses that will finish in first and second place. There are five horses on the field, so there are ten choices.
- There’s a need to review the odds listed on the game. Each quinella has a certain odds to it from 2 to 200. In other words, a player who bets a quarter on a quinella with 15 odds and wins will get 15 quarters.
- The player can also add multiple quarters and then add to the value of one’s bet. This includes betting up to 20 quarters on a quinella.
- The five horses will then run on a mechanical track. The horses will run and eventually reach the finish line.
The unique design of Sigma Derby makes it appealing to many people. The classic gaming style and the fun three-dimensional layout of the track makes it attractive. The unpredictability of the game makes it popular too.
Why Is It Dying?
As fun as Sigma Derby may be, the game itself is almost gone for what may be forever. There are many reasons for this:
- Games that require physical coins are no longer in vogue. The use of paper slips and payout stations has become more popular. Also, not all casinos have machines that can break dollars into quarters.
- The process of maintaining a Sigma Derby machine is complicated. There are far too many mechanical parts inside the unit.
- The payouts aren’t as strong as what you’d get from other games. If you were to bet the maximum 20 quarters on a quinella with 200 odds and you won, you would get 4,000 quarters. This is good for $1,000, although that is much less than what many slots can pay out.
- The greatest concern is that the parts needed for maintaining machines are no longer being made. The Sigma Game Company is no longer in business. In other words, parts from other machines would be utilized for repairing other ones.
Who Is Left?
Due to the game progressively becoming obsolete, there is only one Sigma Derby machine left in the world. That game is on the second floor of The D, a casino on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. But as fun and unique as the game is, it is unclear as to how long that game could last for. The D’s copy of the game became the last one in operation after the version at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas broken down and had to be removed.
Could It Come Back?
Some variants of the game have been introduced by different companies as heir apparent, but those were only prototypes and have never made it out of development. These include VSR’s Classic Derby and Alfa street’s Royal Derby. Of course, Konami does make the Fortune Cup game, but even that doesn’t have the same atmosphere that a player would get out of the original. Games on sites from BonusesOnline.com offer similar things, but that is not necessarily something distinct.
It is unfortunate that the Sigma Derby game is just about extinct, but it is still a unique game that could potentially come back depending on what casino game companies might do when creating new versions. Those who do want to play the game would have to travel to The D in Las Vegas to play it. They’d have to get there soon too, what with the game being so fragile.
