Books have been written on this item, and the conflict and discussion about where the "hot" slot games are placed in the casino are still raging – sixty yrs after slot machine games were 1st added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.
The traditional rule is that the best one armed bandits were installed just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that potential players walking by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be inspired to come inside … play. Our presumption is that this is definitely no longer true.
Many of the big name casinos today are massive complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ slot machines in close proximity to any entrances.
Another traditional rule is that loose slot games are installed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be influenced to play. Notably however, 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 slot machines 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 one armed bandits.