Books have been set forth on this matter, and the disquiet and squabbling about where the "hot" video slots are placed in the casino are still there – sixty yrs after slot machine games were 1st placed in gambling dens.
The classic rule is that the more favourable slot games were placed just inside the entrance of the casino; so that people going by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be attracted to come inside and play. Our observation is that this is no longer the case.
Almost all of the major casinos presently are grand complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machine games close to any entrances or exits.
Yet another classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more fun seekers 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 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 perspective about where to place the loose slot machines.