11.18
Slot Machine positioning
Volumes have been written on this issue, and the conflict and discord about where the "hot" slots are located in the casino are still taking place – more than sixty years after the slots were first placed in the casinos.
The classic rule is that the most favorable slots were put just inside the main foyer of the casino; so that fun seekers passing by would see real jackpot winners and be enthralled to come unto the gambling floor … play. Our stance is that this is definitely no longer so.
The majority of the mega casinos these days are monstrous complexes and it is not possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machine games near to any doorways.
Another classic rule is that loose slot games are placed on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more people could see winning jackpots and be inspired 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 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.