Volumes have been stated on this issue, and the debates and arguments about where the "hot" slot machines are positioned in a casino are still bubbling – more than 60 yrs after slot machines were 1st installed in gambling houses.
The standard rule is that the most favorable one armed bandits were located just inside the entrance of the casino; so that everyone passing by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be stimulated to come unto the gaming floor and play. Our conviction is that this is definitely no longer so.
Nearly all of the big name casinos presently are humongous complexes and you no longer can see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot games near any entrances.
An additional standard rule is that loose one armed bandits are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be encouraged to play. Importantly though, we find that this also is not a universal rule any more.
What casinos found over the years is that people walking down the busy aisles were frequently on the way to somewhere else. If they played the slots at all, they would simply put in their loose change because they happened to be walking by. Win or lose, they would very often not stop to keep playing. And the very last thing a casino wants is for someone to win a jackpot by playing only a few coins and then not stay to put it all back in!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot games.
