11.16
Slot Machine positioning
Volumes have been set forth on this topic, and the conflict and arguments about where the "hot" one armed bandits are positioned in a casino are still passionate – over 60 years after the slot machines were first installed in gambling dens.
The quintessential rule is that the better slot games were installed just inside the main door of the casino; so that folks walking by would be able to see actual jackpot winners … be captivated to come into the casino and play. Our persuasion is that this is no longer the case.
Nearly all of the big name casinos presently are colossal complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot machines close to any exits.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot machine games are placed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be motivated to play. Notably however, 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 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 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!
Today, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose slot games.