Slot Machine positioning
Volumes have been stated on this matter, and the controversy and feuds about where the "hot" slot games are located in the casino are still on-going – sixty years after one armed bandits were first placed in gambling houses.
The standard rule is that the very best slots were placed just inside the entry of the casino; so that potential players passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be tempted to come inside … play. Our view is that this is definitely no longer the case.
The great majority of the mega casinos these days are mammoth complexes … it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot machines close-by any exits.
Another traditional rule is that loose slot games are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Notably 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!
In recent times, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.