Volumes have been set forth on this matter, and the disquiet and disagreement about where the "hot" slot machines are located in a casino are still taking place – more than 60 yrs after the slot machines were 1st installed in gambling houses.
The traditional rule is that the more favourable one armed bandits were located just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that people going by would be able to see jackpot winners … be mesmerized enough to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our presumption is that this is no longer the case.
The majority of the mega casinos presently are gigantic complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machines near any doors.
An additional standard rule is that loose one armed bandits are positioned on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be energized to play. Interestingly 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 one armed bandits 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 slots.