Books have been set forth on this topic, and the debates and discord about where the "hot" video slots are placed in the casino are still on-going – over sixty yrs after slot games were first installed in the casinos.
The standard rule is that the very best slot machines were placed just inside the entrance of the casino; so that everyone passing by would be able to see jackpot winners and be stirred to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our belief is that this is definitely no longer true.
Practically all of the large casinos nowadays are gigantic complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ slot machine games in close proximity to any entrances or exits.
Another classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. However, 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 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 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!
Today, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.