Books have been stated on this item, and the contention and discourse about where the "hot" video slots are positioned in the casino are still taking place – over 60 yrs after slot machine games were 1st placed in the casinos.
The traditional rule is that the superior slot games were installed just inside the main door of the casino; so that people passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be impressed enough to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our opinion is that this is definitely no longer true.
Practically all of the major casinos nowadays are herculean complexes … you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ one armed bandits in close proximity to any entrances.
An additional traditional rule is that loose slot machines are installed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Importantly though, 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 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 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 philosophy about where to place the loose slot machine games.