12.30
Slot Machine positioning
Volumes have been written on this topic, and the debates and disagreement about where the "hot" slot machines are placed in a casino are still ongoing – more than sixty yrs after slot machines were first placed in gambling dens.
The traditional rule is that the superior slot machines were located just inside the main entry of the casino; so that potential players going by would see actual jackpot winners and be influenced to come inside … play. Our sentiment is that this is no longer true.
Nearly all of the large casinos these days are humongous complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot games near any doors.
Another standard rule is that loose slot games are located on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be encouraged to play. Importantly 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 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 slots.