Books have been stated on this item, and the contention and discourse about where the "hot" slots are positioned in the casino are still on-going – 60 years after the slots were first placed in gambling dens.
The standard rule is that the superior slot machine games were installed just inside the main foyer of the casino; so that people passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners and be challenged to come inside … play. Our viewpoint is that this is not so anymore.
Nearly all of the large casinos these days are humongous complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot machine games close to any exits.
Yet another classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are positioned on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more people 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 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.