Books have been said on this matter, and the contention and arguments about where the "hot" slot machines are located in a casino are still passionate – over 60 yrs after the slot machines were first added to the gaming floor in gambling houses.

The traditional rule is that the better slot machines were installed just inside the main entryway of the casino; so that persons passing by would see real jackpot winners … be drawn to come unto the gaming floor and play. Our inference is that this is definitely no longer true.

Many of the major casinos today are immense complexes and you no longer can see inside from the sidewalk, so there is no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ slot machines in close proximity to any entrances.

Another traditional rule is that loose slots are located on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential players could see winning jackpots and be roused to play. Notably however, 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 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!

Today, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.