Volumes have been set forth on this subject, and the disquiet and ruckus about where the "hot" slot games are placed in the casino are still bubbling – over 60 years after slots were first installed in casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the superior slot machine games were located just inside the entry of the casino; so that potential players walking by would be able to see actual jackpot winners and be impressed enough to come inside and play. Our observation is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Most of the major casinos today are humongous complexes and you no longer can see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ one armed bandits in close proximity to any exits.
Yet another standard rule is that loose slot machine games are located on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be inspired 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose slot games.