Volumes have been written on this issue, and the controversy and discourse about where the "hot" slot machine games are positioned in the casino are still passionate – 60 years after slot machines were 1st installed in the casinos.
The traditional rule is that the more favourable one armed bandits were positioned just inside the main entry of the casino; so that potential players walking by would be able to see real jackpot winners … be convinced to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our sentiment is that this is no longer true.
Just about all of the major casinos presently are grand complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ one armed bandits near to any doorways.
An additional classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are installed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be encouraged to play. Notably 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 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machine games.