21 Jun 21

Books have been written on this subject, and the bickering and discord about where the "hot" slot machines are positioned in the casino are still intense – 60 years after one armed bandits were first added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.

The traditional rule is that the most favorable slot machines were installed just inside the main door of the casino; so that fun seekers going by would be able to see jackpot winners and be stirred to come unto the gaming floor and play. Our leaning is that this is not so anymore.

Just about all of the large casinos these days are massive complexes and it’s no longer possible to see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to have the ‘loose’ one armed bandits near to any entrances.

An additional classic rule is that loose slot machine games are positioned on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more potential players could see winning jackpots and be galvanized 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 the slot machines 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!

These days, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose slot machines.