Volumes have been stated on this subject, and the debates and squabbling about where the "hot" slot machine games are positioned in a casino are still passionate – over sixty yrs after slot machines were first placed in gambling houses.
The classic rule is that the better one armed bandits were located just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that potential players going by would be able to see jackpot winners … be inspired to come unto the gaming floor … play. Our inclination is that this is definitely no longer so.
Almost all of the big name casinos nowadays are oversized complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot machine games in close proximity to any entrances or exits.
Another traditional rule is that loose slots are located on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be motivated to play. Notably 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 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!
Today, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.