Volumes have been set forth on this subject, and the disquiet and disharmony about where the "hot" slot machine games are placed in a casino are still there – more than 60 yrs after the slot machines were first installed in casinos.
The classic rule is that the most favorable one armed bandits were put just inside the door of the casino; so that everyone going by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be inspired to come inside and play. Our thought is that this is no longer the case.
Many of the big name casinos these days are herculean complexes … now you can’t see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slot machines near to any of the doors.
An additional traditional rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Interestingly though, we find that this also is no longer a universal rule.
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 slot machines 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.