Volumes have been written on this issue, and the conflict and discord about where the "hot" slots are positioned in the casino are still passionate – over sixty yrs after the slot machines were first added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.
The quintessential rule is that the more favourable slot machines were put just inside the main entry of the casino; so that persons going by would be able to see jackpot winners and be attracted to come into the casino … play. Our belief is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Nearly all of the mega casinos presently are mammoth complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slots near any entrances.
Another standard rule is that loose slot games are placed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more potential players could see winning jackpots and be motivated to play. Notably 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 philosophy about where to place the loose slot machine games.