Volumes have been written on this topic, and the controversy and ruckus about where the "hot" slot machine games are located in a casino are still intense – 60 years after slot machine games were 1st placed in gambling houses.
The classic rule is that the more favourable slot games were located just inside the main doorway of the casino; so that everyone going by would see actual jackpot winners … be captivated to come inside … play. Our theorem is that this is definitely no longer the case.
Many of the major casinos nowadays are herculean complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slot machines in close proximity to any of the doors.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot machine games are placed on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be encouraged to play. Interestingly though, we find that this also is not 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 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!
These days, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.