Volumes have been written on this topic, and the conflict and arguments about where the "hot" slot machines are placed in a casino are still there – over sixty years after one armed bandits were 1st placed in gambling dens.
The traditional rule is that the most favorable one armed bandits were located just inside the main doorway of the casino; so that everyone passing by would be able to see jackpot winners and be drawn to come unto the gaming floor and play. Our presumption is that this is no longer true.
The great majority of the large casinos presently are immense complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slots close to any entrances or exits.
An additional classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are located on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be energized to play. Importantly 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 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 perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.