Las Vegas is home to over 197,000 slot machines. That’s roughly one for every three residents. With so many slot machines to choose from, it should be no surprise that you can find some interesting ones hiding around town.
This is especially true in downtown Las Vegas, known to many as “Old Vegas.” Fremont Street specializes in keeping the old-time feel alive. This is where you will find all sorts of buildings, stores, merchandise, and yes, even slot machines from the early days of Las Vegas history.
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. Brybelly 1000-Count Cherry Slot Machine Tokens – Premium Pachislo & IGT Slot. 3.5 out of 5 stars (16) 16 product ratings - Brybelly 1000-Count Cherry Slot Machine Tokens – Premium Pachislo & IGT Slot. HHR MACHINES Historical Horse Racing games are a competitive substitute for traditional games. The major difference that sets HHR apart from traditional games is the. Deluxe Winter Book Horse Racing Slot Machine by Evans. My next project is a 1954 console type slot machine made by the H.C. Evans Company of Chicago. This game is titled Deluxe Winter Book and you. Antique 1950's Winterbook Delux horse racing machine $1,199 (DELRAY BEACH) pic hide this posting restore restore this posting. Vintage 'BARNEY' CASINO'.
Below you will find a list of some of the interesting, fun, vintage, or downright weird slot machines you can find in downtown Las Vegas.
Coin-Operated Slot Machines
Coin-operated slots are one of the most sought-after unique slot machines found in Las Vegas. They bring a bit of nostalgia back to the game. These are getting harder to find. Many casinos have a hard time finding parts for repair, which has caused most to get rid of coin-operated slots altogether.
The evolution of our U.S. currency has had a dramatic impact. The D Hotel and Casino has phased out all of its coin operated slot machines. For a place specializing in vintage slots (they have an entire floor devoted to these), why would they do this?
Turns out, the machine’s bill reader cannot recognize our newer versions of U.S. currency in $5 and $20 bills. These bill readers cannot be swapped, and old currency is hard to keep in supply. All of this works out to be too much of a headache for the casino.
With that said, there are still a few places in downtown Las Vegas that offer the chance to play coin-operated slot machines. They are:
California Hotel and Casino
El Cortez Hotel and Casino
Fremont Hotel and Casino
Main Street Station Hotel and Casino
Plaza Hotel and Casino
Sigma Derby
Sigma Derby is a retro horse racing game. It made its debut in 1985 and was quite popular at the time. In today’s casinos, it’s nearly impossible to find. Just like coin-operated slot machines, parts for Sigma Derby games are hard to find when the game is in need of repairs.
Sigma Horse Racing Slot Machine For Sale
Horse Racing Slot Machine Vintage
In addition to having a difficult time keeping the Sigma Derby machines operational, the casinos make a very small profit on them. They are coin operated and run on just a few quarters. The machines also take over a minute to complete one round.
Because of this, almost every Las Vegas casino has done away with Sigma Derby machines. In fact, there is only one such machine in all of downtown Las Vegas. This machine is at The D Hotel and Casino. Or, if you’re willing to venture to the Las Vegas Strip, there is one other Sigma Derby machine located at the MGM Grand.
Silver Strike
Silver Strike slot machines have an incredible fan base. They appeal to both slot machine players and to collectors. This is because, rather than winning cash, you win silver coins. Well, partially silver coins.
The coins used to be .999 silver. Now they are usually a mix of silver and copper. The variance is due to the fact that each casino is responsible for producing their own silver strike coins. This brings in the collector’s aspect, as there are many different coins to try to win.
The machine has a $3.00 max spin, which you must bet to have a chance at the silver coin bonus. If you get a silver strike logo on the third reel, you win a silver strike coin. Most of these coins are worth roughly $10; however, you have a chance at randomly receiving one worth up to $300.
There are varying values within each casino, plus several different casinos offering their own coin variations. The cost associated with producing the silver strike coins has deterred many casinos from carrying the machines. In downtown Las Vegas, there are two casinos who still have the game on their floor:
Horse Racing Slot Machine For Sale
The Four Queens Hotel and Casino has four machines
El Cortez Hotel and Casino has one machine
Jumbo Slot Machine
The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino is home to one of the largest functioning slot machines in all of Las Vegas. This slot machine is over eight feet tall! It is a 4-reel machine that works in dollar denominations. You will find this slot machine in the lobby by their front entrance. Such a massive machine can draw a lot of attention. It’s not unusual to see a crowd surrounding the machine, watching the player.
It does have an arm mechanism on it; however, this is no longer how the slot machine reels are spun. This is done with a spin button. One old-time aspect that still remains is that the payout from the machine is given in quarters. It’s a fun experience everyone should try once.
Vintage Slot Machines
If you’re looking to see some gambling history, Las Vegas is the place to do it. Even more specifically, looking through downtown Las Vegas, where the city got its start. Fremont Street is where the big casinos of Las Vegas originated. It is where it all began in the evolution of what Las Vegas is today.
This rich history is displayed throughout downtown Las Vegas. One of the crowd favorites in nostalgic merchandise is slot machines. There are two displays featuring retired, vintage slots. These are no longer functional but are still amazing to see. They are located at:
The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino
Main Street Hotel and Casino
If you’re looking for a large selection of vintage slot machines you can still play, your go-to destination should be The D Hotel and Casino. Their entire second floor is devoted exclusively to vintage slot machines. While they have all been converted to TITO (Ticket In/Ticket Out) machines, they still maintain the vintage gameplay options.
SlotZilla Zip Line
If you’re looking for unique slot machines that you can wager money on, the SlotZilla slot machine on Fremont Street is not for you. That’s because it’s not actually a slot machine, but a giant model of a slot machine. In fact, it’s the most giant one in the world. The SlotZilla slot machine holds the world record for the largest slot machine, standing at 128 feet tall.
It is truly a sight to see. It doesn’t stop there, though. The SlotZilla machine is actually a zip line. The zip line originates at the top of the 12-story-tall slot machine replica. From there, riders will fly down Fremont Street, just below the lighted canopy. There are two versions you can try: the zip line and the zoom line.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for something slightly different to do in Las Vegas, or simply trying to change up your usual gambling routine, this list has you covered. Everything on this list should be seen once if you’re a fan of slot machines or Vegas history.
Not only will you be able to play some of the oldest functioning slot machines around, but you will also get to see amazing pieces of Las Vegas culture. You can cap it all off with a ride on Vegas’s own slot machine zip line.
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Think back to the first time you ever walked into the MGM Grand as a gambling-age 21-year-old swinging dicc with a pocket full of money — like $100 to your name — and you saw the Sigma Derby machine like a beacon of light off in the distance calling your name. Then you get closer and see that it’s a 25¢ machine and then word gets around that they serve free drinks while you’re playing and people are cheering, going absolutely nuts and it’s the craziest scene of your life as drunk post-grads are throwing around $20s and women are flocking over to get in on the fun.
Those were the days in Vegas before resort fees, parking garage fees, fees for this, fees for that. Those were the days when the $20 trick would land you in a massive suite and you lived like a king for a couple days sucking down drinks at the bar top pretending to play $20 through a video poker machine while crushing four Long Islands to get the night started.
This is where I snap you out of it and tell you that MGM’s Sigma Derby died November 12, 2018 and won’t be back. There’s only one remaining Sigma in all of Vegas and that’s at The D. Seriously, one left. As of seven days ago, it was in operation.
What are your other options? You could buy this one that’s currently for sale on eBay. The starting bid is $25,500 or Make An Offer.
Sigma Derby Horse Racing Slot Machine For Sale
From the seller, who doesn’t say if this is the one out of MGM Grand, but there are very few known Sigmas in existence:
Completed with FULL manual copies and parts lists and schematics. Fully working 10 station Sigma Derby. The one, the only. Own this one of a kind machine with the cult following. I did not install all the lights around the top of the unit for the shoot. The system works 100% and has never needed any real overhall besides maybe some switches. It is in as good of condition as possible, works fully and I am still not sure I can part with it. If you know what this is, you dont need more description!
Keep in mind it’s extremely hard to find parts for these games, which is why the MGM Sigma went away. It’s been reported that the house edge on Sigma is between 10 & 20 percent. While that’s huge for the house, it doesn’t matter if you can’t find parts to keep it running.
From AtlasObscura:
The brainchild of the now-defunct Sigma Game Inc., Derby offered a fun new take on the average slot machine experience when it debuted in 1985. Instead of inserting your coins, pulling a lever, and hoping that three symbols aligned, you could wager quarters on mechanical horses, watch them race around a miniature track, and win somewhere between two and 200 times your bet if your combination came in. It soon caught on with gamblers and casinos and flourished well into the 1990s. Caesars had a version with chariots. The Luxor had camels.
As of 2016, there were just five playable Sigmas left in the U.S. That number dwindled fast by 2018 and here we are with one left to bet on. Or you can buy your very own and run one with your buddies out of a pole barn in the middle of Iowa without the Feds knowing what you’re up to.
MGM has one of only 5 playable Sigma Derby games in the United States pic.twitter.com/ePhfoVURnk