Volumes have been set forth on this matter, and the conflict and discord about where the "hot" one armed bandits are installed in a casino are still passionate – over sixty yrs after slot machine games were first installed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the better slot machines were put just inside the main entry of the casino; so that persons passing by would be able to see real jackpot winners … be inspired to come inside and play. Our inclination is that this is definitely no longer so.
The great majority of the mega casinos presently are humongous complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot games near any entrances or exits.
Another classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are positioned on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be motivated to play. Importantly though, we find that this also is not 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 one armed bandits 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 perspective about where to place the loose slot machines.