A narrow, elongated depression, groove, notch, slit, or aperture, especially a narrow opening for receiving or admitting something, such as a coin or letter. Also used figuratively: a position or period of time, as in a schedule or program: She was slotted into the eight o’clock slot on Thursdays.
An opening in a computer or other machine into which something may be inserted, such as a CD or floppy disk. In some computers, the term also refers to an area of memory into which data may be stored.
In casino slot machines, a coin or paper ticket with a barcode is inserted into a designated slot, or a button (either physical or on a touchscreen) is pushed or pulled to activate reels that spin and then stop to rearrange symbols. When a winning combination is produced, the machine awards credits according to a pay table. The payouts vary by game, but classic symbols include fruit, bells, and stylized lucky sevens.
Many slots offer multiple jackpots, and some have bonus levels or other special features that can increase the player’s chance of winning. Some even link to other slots, allowing players to earn part of a progressive jackpot when they play them.
Some popular strategies for playing slots call for moving on to another machine after a set amount of time, or after seeing someone else hit a jackpot. These strategies are useless, however, as each spin is completely random and the previous results have no bearing on future outcomes.