Volumes have been said on this item, and the contention and discourse about where the "hot" slot machines are located in the casino are still ongoing – over 60 yrs after the slots were first placed in casinos.
The classic rule is that the best slot machines were located just inside the door of the casino; so that persons going by would be able to see actual jackpot winners and be stimulated to come inside … play. Our sentiment is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Practically all of the big name casinos presently are massive complexes … now you can’t see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ one armed bandits near to any doors.
Another traditional rule is that loose slot games are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be energized to play. Interestingly though, 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 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slots.
