Slot Machine positioning
Books have been written on this matter, and the debates and face-offs about where the "hot" slot machines are placed in the casino are still intense – over sixty years after one armed bandits were 1st placed in gambling dens.
The classic rule is that the most favorable slots were positioned just inside the entrance of the casino; so that folks going by would see real jackpot winners … be convinced to come inside … play. Our resolution is that this is no longer the case.
Nearly all of the big name casinos these days are herculean complexes … now you can’t see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ one armed bandits close to any of the doors.
Another standard rule is that loose slot machines are installed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be encouraged 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.