Volumes have been written on this subject, and the conflict and feuds about where the "hot" slot machines are installed in a casino are still taking place – more than sixty years after slot machine games were first added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.
The standard rule is that the very best one armed bandits were placed just inside the main entry of the casino; so that individuals going by would see real jackpot winners … be challenged to come unto the gaming floor … play. Our determination is that this is no longer the case.
Almost all of the large casinos today are titanic complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to place the ‘loose’ one armed bandits close to any doors.
Another traditional rule is that loose slot machines are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Importantly 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 one armed bandits 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose slot machines.