Slot Machine Location
Books have been set forth on this item, and the bickering and feuds about where the "hot" slots are installed in the casino are still taking place – over 60 years after slot machine games were 1st placed in the casinos.
The classic rule is that the very best one armed bandits were placed just inside the entrance of the casino; so that everyone going by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be intrigued enough to come inside … play. Our conclusion is that this is not so anymore.
Many of the big name casinos these days are herculean complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machines in close proximity to any entrances or exits.
An additional classic rule is that loose one armed bandits are positioned on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be galvanized to play. Importantly 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 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!
Today, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.