Slot Machine positioning
Books have been stated on this item, and the contention and discord about where the "hot" slot machines are installed in a casino are still taking place – 60 years after the slot machines were first placed in gambling houses.
The traditional rule is that the very best one armed bandits were put just inside the door of the casino; so that folks walking by would see jackpot winners and be convinced to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our speculation is that this is definitely no longer true.
Many of the mega casinos presently are magnificent complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machine games near to any doors.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot machines are installed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be influenced to play. Interestingly 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 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.