Fortune Cup Is a Modern-Day Sigma Derby

I’ve seen a new horse racing game outside the sports book at the Flamingo and at Harrah’s Las Vegas. What is it and how much is it like Sigma Derby?

What you’ve seen is Fortune Cup, made by Konami.

“The excitement is the same [as Sigma Derby], but the Konami brings the game up to modern standards,” writes Wizard of Odds Mike Shackleford.

Eight horses canter around a green oval, but unlike Sigma Derby, which offered quinella-only betting, in Fortune Cup you can wager on one horse to win or place, whereby you can finish second and still win. Fortune Cup also offers quinella betting, from which you can make a staggering number (28) of wagers. There's even a progressive-jackpot feature, for which the eligible horse is chosen by the machine after the race begins. The game has 10 betting stations, card readers for your players club card, and USB charging stations.

Shackleford, who also found Fortune Cup at the Hard Rock (soon to be Virgin) and Venetian, estimates the hold at between 82% and 84%, so Sigma Derby’s hefty house edge lives on. For those seeking time on device, Fortune Cup offers a good temporal return, with one race every 80 seconds. Each derby is accompanied by a multi-angle video display and prerecorded play-by-play.

PlayNevada.com lamented, “The vintage Sigma Derby horse racing game is fun in part because of its age. It’s not possible to recreate the novelty of playing a casino game for a physical quarter. The bouncing horse movements can’t be recreated either. However,” it added, “Fortune Cup offers more of everything that horse racing fans should enjoy in a casino game.”

The greater smoothness of Fortune Cup is due to Konami’s powering of the horses through magnets, compared to the tracks in which Sigma Derby ponies ran. The liberation of horse from track also enables races to be run in a figure-eight pattern, although we don’t know how often that’s done. Ditto the progressive jackpot, which Konami has done a poor job of explaining, even mystifying Shackleford — no mean feat.

The game debuted at the 2016 Global Gaming Expo (G2E). Casinos that have adopted Fortune Cup in the Vegas area include Red Rock Resort, the D (backstopping its Sigma Derby machine, the last in Nevada), the Orleans and MGM Grand, with Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, and New York-New York having announced plans to install the game. In Atlantic City, it's exclusive to Borgata. At least, that's our most recent information on placement.

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[email protected] Feb-10-2019

Also the Venetian

The Venetian also had the game when I was there in November.  I was impressed at how realistic it looked.  The horses looked like real horses, even with hair manes and tails.  Also, the horses moved in and out as they ran, dropping to the rail, swinging to the outside.  Plus there is a giant video screen showing the race at the same time.  Each betting station even has screens with info on each horse.  And the races are run at different distances and conditions.  Of course, no horse player would play it seriously, but if you just want to have a little fun and diversion, it could be a nice way to pass some time.

O2bnVegas Feb-10-2019

Bellagio too

Bellagio has had Fortune Cup at least since last October, maybe longer.

Roy Furukawa Feb-10-2019

One born every minute

Bellagio was smart to position their Fortune Cup machine just at the entryway to the casino floor from the guest elevators. There’s usually standing room only during the peak gaming hours on weekends.

Kevin Lewis Feb-10-2019

Like a microcosm of Vegas--fun, but a ripoff

Did they really need to set the house advantage at 16-18% for a game that, as they correctly surmised, was going to be very popular and get lots of play? Every time I visit Vegas nowadays, I wonder why they've been so able to gouge, gouge, gouge and still keep the hotels full of eager lemmings. I'm waiting for the inevitable game with a 100% house edge--you put in a hundy, the machine burps and says "Thank you!," and nothing happens. People would still play it, I fear.

Jackie Feb-10-2019

Kevin

I want to make you happy Kevin so you may visit me anytime, give me a hundred, I'll burp and say "Thank You" but something will happen.  I'll ask you to try again.  You see, since this wouldn't be gambling, the Gaming Commission wouldn't be able to regulate my edge like it does casinos.  Therefore you would be happy as your fortune telling comes true.  I would be happy with extra hundreds. The Gaming Commission would be happy without the regulatory headaches.
See what a wonderful fellow you are making so many happy people.

Deke Castleman Feb-10-2019

This in via email from Jeff

"Was in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago and played Fortune Cup in the Plaza downtown and Mirage, as well as the aforementioned MGM Grand and the D."

Larry Stone Feb-10-2019

Bally's AC

This game is also at the Wild West section in Bally's Atlantic City.

Dave in Seattle. Feb-10-2019

Say hi to Matthew.

At Cosmo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM_uYdThCPc

Ray Feb-10-2019

Anyone else tired of this?

To Kevin, someone asked a legitimate question about the workings and comparisons of a slot machine, and the answer was properly given. Not too many of us really want to read your bitching about Vegas in general. You don't have to go to Vegas if you think it's a ripoff and if you live there, you don't have to play. But the question was about the Fortune Cup, not "Kevin's take on Vegas"

Duane Pfau Feb-10-2019

in AC

The Fortune Cup was at Harrah's and the Tropicana  briefly last year. The Trop closed it down within a couple of months and Harrah's lasted a while longer. It was fun to play but nobody seem to play for very long

Question of the Day - 10 February 2019

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