A slot is a narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, such as a coin or letter. It may also refer to:
An assigned time for an aircraft to take off or land, as authorized by an airport or air-traffic authority. This allocation can be traded and is often valuable, as shown by the recent sale of an air traffic management slot at Heathrow for a record $75 million.
In computer hardware, a slot is a receptacle for a device such as a hard disk drive, an expansion card, or a memory module. The device plugs into a slot on a motherboard or other expansion board, and the slot contains contacts that are positioned to engage with the device’s contact pads. The contacts are soldered to the board, and the slots are covered with plastic caps to protect them from damage.
The term “slot” is also used to describe a position in a group, series, or sequence, as of jobs or assignments. For example, a person might have the slot as chief copy editor at a newspaper, or a player might be given the slot in an ice hockey game. The word is derived from the root of the Middle Low German word slit, meaning to cut or create a hole. It is also related to the English word sloot, meaning to pass through or over a fence.
Slots in slot machines are small, circular holes on the face of a machine that accept tokens or paper tickets to activate the reels. Often, the symbols on a slot machine’s pay line must land in a specific pattern to trigger a payout. These patterns are listed in the pay table, which is displayed when the player presses a button or pulls a lever. On electromechanical slot machines, the pay tables were listed above and below the area containing the reels; on modern video slots, they are usually contained within a help menu.
Understanding the pay table of a slot game is important because it can help players understand how the machine works and its potential payouts. It can also help players make informed decisions about their wagering. Some slots have multiple pay lines, bonus features, and other rules that can affect how much a player will win. Some may require a minimum bet, while others have a maximum bet amount. In addition, many slot games have different payout percentages and RTPs.