Slot Machine Location
Volumes have been stated on this subject, and the debates and disagreement about where the "hot" one armed bandits are installed in a casino are still rampant – over sixty yrs after slot games were first installed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the more favourable slot games were located just inside the main doorway of the casino; so that potential players going by would be able to see jackpot winners and be intrigued enough to come inside and play. Our verdict is that this is definitely no longer true.
Almost all of the big name casinos these days are herculean complexes … 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.
Another traditional rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be inspired to play. Nonetheless, we find that this also is not 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 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.