Books have been stated on this topic, and the bickering and discussion about where the "hot" slot machines are positioned in a casino are still passionate – sixty yrs after slot games were first added to the gaming floor in casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the superior one armed bandits were put just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that folks going by would be able to see actual jackpot winners and be enthralled to come unto the gaming floor … play. Our point of view is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Almost all of the big name casinos today are behemothic complexes … it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ one armed bandits in close proximity to any exits.
Another traditional rule is that loose slots are put on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be energized 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 slot machine games 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!
Nowadays, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.
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