Volumes have been set forth on this topic, and the contention and face-offs about where the "hot" slot machine games are located in the casino are still ongoing – more than 60 yrs after slot machine games were 1st placed in gambling houses.
The classic rule is that the best one armed bandits were installed just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that persons walking by would see real jackpot winners … be captivated to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our opinion is that this is definitely no longer the case.
The majority of the mega casinos presently are gigantic complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ one armed bandits close to any exits.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot machine games are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be influenced 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 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose slot machines.