Volumes have been stated on this subject, and the disquiet and discord about where the "hot" one armed bandits are placed in a casino are still happening – over 60 years after the slot machines were 1st added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.
The standard rule is that the very best slot machine games were located just inside the door of the casino; so that people passing by would be able to see real jackpot winners … be stimulated to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our feeling is that this is definitely no longer true.
Most of the mega casinos nowadays are gigantic complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machine games close-by any entrances or exits.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot machine games are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential players could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Notably though, we find that this also is no longer a universal rule.
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 slots.