Slot Machine Location
Volumes have been written on this topic, and the contention and feuds about where the "hot" slot machine games are positioned in a casino are still on-going – over 60 yrs after slot machine games were 1st placed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the very best slot machines were placed just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that potential gamblers passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners and be tempted to come inside … play. Our opinion is that this is definitely no longer the case.
The great majority of the big name casinos these days are super-colossal complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to place the ‘loose’ slot machines in close proximity to any entrances.
An additional traditional rule is that loose slot machines are positioned on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more potential players could see winning jackpots and be energized 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 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 very 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 philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.