Volumes have been set forth on this issue, and the debates and interchanges about where the "hot" slot games are located in a casino are still there – over 60 yrs after slot games were first installed in gambling houses.
The standard rule is that the most favorable one armed bandits were placed just inside the main door of the casino; so that individuals going by would be able to see jackpot winners … be keen enough to come inside and play. Our finding is that this is no longer true.
Practically all of the large casinos nowadays are monstrous complexes … it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ slot machines near to any doorways.
Another traditional rule is that loose one armed bandits are positioned on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Notably however, we find that this also isn’t 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 slot games 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 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!
Nowadays, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slots.