Books have been stated on this subject, and the contention and face-offs about where the "hot" slot machines are positioned in a casino are still taking place – more than sixty yrs after slot games were first added to the gaming floor in gambling houses.
The classic rule is that the more favourable one armed bandits were positioned just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that fun seekers going by would see actual jackpot winners … be drawn to come inside … play. Our observation is that this is definitely no longer true.
Almost all of the mega casinos presently are magnificent complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot games close-by any entrances or exits.
An additional standard rule is that loose slot games are put on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Importantly though, 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 machine 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 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 machines.