Books have been stated on this issue, and the bickering and interchanges about where the "hot" video slots are installed in the casino are still happening – more than 60 yrs after one armed bandits were first installed in gambling houses.
The traditional rule is that the superior one armed bandits were put just inside the main door of the casino; so that folks passing by would see real jackpot winners … be intrigued enough to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our leaning is that this is no longer the case.
The great majority of the major casinos nowadays are giant complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slots close to any doors.
Another classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Importantly 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 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 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.