Volumes have been set forth on this subject, and the controversy and face-offs about where the "hot" slot machine games are placed in the casino are still raging – sixty years after one armed bandits were first added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.
The traditional rule is that the superior one armed bandits were positioned just inside the entry of the casino; so that people passing by would be able to see jackpot winners and be intrigued enough to come inside … play. Our speculation is that this is no longer the case.
Almost all of the large casinos these days are super-colossal complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot games close-by any entrances or exits.
Yet another traditional rule is that loose one armed bandits are positioned on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be influenced to play. Importantly however, 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 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 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!
Today, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slots.