Volumes have been set forth on this subject, and the controversy and ruckus about where the "hot" slot games are placed in a casino are still on-going – over 60 yrs after slot machine games were 1st placed in casinos.
The classic rule is that the superior slot games were put just inside the entrance of the casino; so that folks passing by would be able to see real jackpot winners and be mesmerized enough to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our standpoint is that this is definitely no longer so.
Most of the big name casinos today are oversized complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ slot machines close to any of the doors.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot machine games are installed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be energized to play. Nonetheless, 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 the slot machines 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 philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.