Books have been set forth on this issue, and the conflict and discord about where the "hot" slot games are installed in a casino are still on-going – 60 years after slot games were 1st added to the gaming floor in casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the better slot machines were placed just inside the main entry of the casino; so that folks passing by would see actual jackpot winners and be captivated to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our view is that this is definitely no longer true.
Practically all of the big name casinos these days are humongous complexes … you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slot games close-by any entrances or exits.
An additional standard rule is that loose slot machines are positioned on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be encouraged to play. Nonetheless, 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 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 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 slots.