02.25
Slot Machine Location
Books have been written on this subject, and the controversy and disharmony about where the "hot" one armed bandits are located in a casino are still intense – more than sixty yrs after slot games were 1st placed in the casinos.
The quintessential rule is that the more favourable one armed bandits were placed just inside the main entrance of the casino; so that individuals walking by would be able to see real jackpot winners … be attracted to come inside … play. Our theory is that this is no longer the case.
Most of the large casinos today are behemothic complexes and you can no longer see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to put the ‘loose’ slot games close-by any doors.
Yet another classic rule is that loose slot machines are positioned on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more potential gamblers could see winning jackpots and be roused to play. Interestingly though, 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 slots 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!
Nowadays, casinos are constantly changing their perspective about where to place the loose one armed bandits.