Books have been stated on this subject, and the bickering and discord about where the "hot" one armed bandits are located in a casino are still passionate – sixty years after slot machines were 1st placed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the better one armed bandits were installed just inside the main door of the casino; so that everyone passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be smitten to come inside … play. Our interpretation is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Nearly all of the mega casinos nowadays are giant complexes and 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 doors.
An additional traditional rule is that loose slot games are installed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Importantly 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 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose slots.