Books have been written on this topic, and the conflict and discord about where the "hot" video slots are installed in the casino are still raging – over 60 yrs after slot games were first added to the gaming floor in gambling houses.
The classic rule is that the better slot machines were placed just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that people passing by would be able to see jackpot winners … be stirred to come into the casino … play. Our verdict is that this is no longer the case.
The great majority of the big name casinos these days are enormous complexes … it’s no longer possible to 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.
Yet another classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are installed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Notably 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 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!
Nowadays, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose slot machine games.