Books have been stated on this issue, and the bickering and discord about where the "hot" slot machines are located in a casino are still bubbling – more than 60 yrs after slot machine games were 1st installed in the casinos.
The classic rule is that the better slot machines were positioned just inside the entrance of the casino; so that potential gamblers walking by would see jackpot winners and be keen enough to come unto the gaming floor and play. Our frame of mind is that this is definitely no longer true.
Almost all of the large casinos these days are massive complexes … you no longer can see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ slot machines close to any exits.
Yet another standard rule is that loose slot games are placed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be influenced to play. Notably though, 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 slots 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.