Volumes have been stated on this matter, and the bickering and interchanges about where the "hot" one armed bandits are located in the casino are still bubbling – over 60 yrs after slot machines were 1st added to the gaming floor in casinos.
The standard rule is that the better slot games were put just inside the entrance of the casino; so that folks passing by would see actual jackpot winners and be aroused to come unto the gambling floor and play. Our presumption is that this is no longer true.
Most of the mega casinos these days are colossal complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to position the ‘loose’ slots close-by any entrances.
Yet another standard rule is that loose one armed bandits are put on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more fun seekers could see winning jackpots and be influenced to play. Notably however, we find that this also is no longer a universal rule.
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 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 philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.