07.10
Slot Machine positioning
Volumes have been said on this subject, and the conflict and disagreement about where the "hot" one armed bandits are placed in the casino are still rampant – more than 60 years after the slot machines were first added to the gaming floor in gambling dens.
The classic rule is that the more favourable slot games were installed just inside the entrance of the casino; so that folks passing by would see jackpot winners and be enthralled to come into the casino … play. Our persuasion is that this is no longer the case.
Many of the major casinos today are magnificent complexes … it is not 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 or exits.
Yet another standard rule is that loose slots are located on the major aisles inside the casinos, again so that more persons could see winning jackpots and be inspired 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 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 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 perspective about where to place the loose slot machine games.