Books have been set forth on this topic, and the debates and disagreement about where the "hot" slots are positioned in a casino are still on-going – 60 yrs after slot games were 1st added to the gaming floor in casinos.
The standard rule is that the very best one armed bandits were positioned just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that everyone going by would see real jackpot winners … be titillated to come unto the gaming floor and play. Our conviction is that this is not so anymore.
The majority of the major casinos nowadays are massive complexes … you no longer can see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slot games near to any of the doors.
Another classic rule is that loose slots are installed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Nonetheless, 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 the slot machines 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.