Books have been stated on this item, and the disquiet and discord about where the "hot" slot machines are installed in the casino are still rampant – sixty yrs after one armed bandits were 1st installed in gambling dens.
The standard rule is that the best one armed bandits were positioned just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that persons passing by would see actual jackpot winners … be tempted to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our opinion is that this is no longer the case.
The majority of the mega casinos today are massive complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot machines near any entrances or exits.
An additional classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be galvanized 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 the slots 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slots.