08.09
Slot Machine Location
Books have been said on this matter, and the contention and ruckus about where the "hot" slot machines are placed in a casino are still rampant – more than 60 yrs after slot games were first installed in casinos.
The traditional rule is that the best one armed bandits were installed just inside the main foyer of the casino; so that individuals going by would see real jackpot winners … be intrigued enough to come into the casino … play. Our philosophy is that this is no longer true.
Nearly all of the mega casinos nowadays are enormous complexes … now you can’t see inside from the sidewalk, so there’s no longer a reason to situate the ‘loose’ slot games near any doors.
An additional classic rule is that loose slot games are located on the major aisles in the casinos, again so that more folks could see winning jackpots and be roused to play. Notably though, 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 the slots 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!
Nowadays, casinos are constantly changing their philosophy about where to place the loose one armed bandits.