Skill Derby (Non-replay Model)

Skill Derby is an electro-mechanical novelty game from Bally Manufacturing Corporation, notable for the fact that it isn't classified as a pinball machine at all — instead of a ball, play uses a small disc about the size of a nickel, which is why it's catalogued as "Not A Pinball" despite Bally itself having marketed it as an "upright pin-game." This listing covers the non-replay model (model 656), distinct from Bally's 1960 replay version of the same game, which added a replay counter and an illuminating odds column to the playfield.

The game's horse-racing theme comes to life through a mechanical backbox animation in which the horses race, viewed through a transparent cover Bally called the "Vista-Dome." Operators could set the game for nickel or dime play. The upright cabinet stands 72 inches high, 27 inches wide, and 22 inches deep, including its front rail extensions.

Details about the game's designer and exact release year are not documented. It should not be confused with the similarly named but unrelated 1960 gun game 'Bally Derby,' which also has a horse-racing theme but is an entirely different game for up to five players.