Volumes have been set forth on this topic, and the controversy and discourse about where the "hot" slots are located in a casino are still rampant – over sixty yrs after slot machine games were first placed in the casinos.
The standard rule is that the most favorable one armed bandits were put just inside the main foyer of the casino; so that casino fanatics passing by would see actual jackpot winners … be impressed enough to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our attitude is that this is no longer the case.
The majority of the big name casinos today are monstrous complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ one armed bandits near any doorways.
An additional 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 energized 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 one armed bandits 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.