Books have been stated on this topic, and the disquiet and discussion about where the "hot" slot games are placed in a casino are still taking place – over sixty yrs after slot machine games were 1st placed in gambling houses.
The classic rule is that the more favourable slots were positioned just inside the entrance of the casino; so that potential players walking by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be drawn to come into the casino and play. Our point of view is that this is no longer true.
Practically all of the big name casinos nowadays are herculean complexes and now you can’t see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slots near to any exits.
Another traditional rule is that loose slot games are positioned on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be encouraged 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 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 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!
Today, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slots.