Books have been said on this issue, and the debates and ruckus about where the "hot" slot games are located in the casino are still taking place – more than sixty years after the slot machines were 1st placed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the most favorable one armed bandits were installed just inside the main door of the casino; so that folks passing by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be attracted to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our persuasion is that this is definitely no longer true.
The majority of the big name casinos these days are mammoth complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slot games close-by any entrances or exits.
An additional standard rule is that loose slot machines are located on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Notably however, we find that this also is not 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 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 philosophy about where to place the loose slot games.