Slot Machine positioning
Books have been written on this item, and the controversy and interchanges about where the "hot" slot machine games are placed in the casino are still on-going – over 60 years after one armed bandits were first added to the gaming floor in casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the very best slot machines were placed just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that individuals walking by would see actual jackpot winners and be keen enough to come inside and play. Our perspective is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Almost all of the large casinos today are magnificent complexes and you no longer can see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slot machines close-by any doors.
Another standard rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be encouraged to play. Interestingly though, 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 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 philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.