Volumes have been written on this issue, and the contention and face-offs about where the "hot" one armed bandits are located in the casino are still raging – more than sixty years after the slot machines were first placed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the more favourable slot machines were put just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that individuals passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be enticed to come inside and play. Our perspective is that this is no longer true.
The majority of the mega casinos presently are herculean complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to place the ‘loose’ slot machine games near any doorways.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot games are installed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be energized to play. Interestingly 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 machine games.