Volumes have been said on this issue, and the contention and discourse about where the "hot" slot machines are installed in a casino are still bubbling – more than 60 years after slot games were first installed in casinos.
The classic rule is that the best slot machines were placed just inside the entrance of the casino; so that casino fanatics going by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be inspired to come unto the gaming floor … play. Our conclusion is that this is no longer the case.
Most of the mega casinos today are colossal 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 entrances or exits.
Another standard rule is that loose slot machines are positioned on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Importantly however, 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 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 philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.