Books have been said on this item, and the disquiet and ruckus about where the "hot" slots are placed in the casino are still bubbling – over 60 years after the slots were 1st placed in the casinos.
The standard rule is that the most favorable slot machines were put just inside the entrance of the casino; so that people going by would see real jackpot winners … be enticed to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our attitude is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Nearly all of the major casinos nowadays are massive complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ one armed bandits close to any entrances or exits.
Yet another standard rule is that loose slot machines are installed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. However, 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 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 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 perspective about where to place the loose slot machines.