A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as a keyway in machinery or a slit for a coin in a vending machine.
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A slot is a position within a group, series, sequence, etc.
When a slot is used in aviation, it refers to an authorization for a flight at a busy airport on a particular day during a specific time period. Slots are designed to prevent the kinds of repeated delays caused by too many flights trying to take off or land at the same time, and they can help to save fuel as well.
A casino’s slot machines are usually located in the gambling hall floor and can be activated by a lever or button (physical or on a touchscreen) to spin reels and then stop to rearrange symbols. A winning combination of symbols awards credits based on the paytable. The symbols vary, but classics include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Most slot games have a theme and bonus features aligned with that theme.
Some people believe that slots pay in cycles, and that it is possible to predict when a machine will be “hot” or “cold”. However, this is not true; the payout of a slot machine is determined at random. It is true that low-volatility slots tend to pay out more often than high-volatility ones, but the size of the wins can differ between machines.