Books have been written on this topic, and the contention and ruckus about where the "hot" slot machine games are positioned in the casino are still intense – sixty yrs after slot games were 1st installed in gambling dens.
The standard rule is that the best slot machine games were put just inside the main entry of the casino; so that individuals passing by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be titillated to come inside … play. Our slant is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Practically all of the mega casinos today are behemothic complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machines near to any doors.
Another traditional rule is that loose slot machines are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be roused 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 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.