A narrow opening, groove, or notch, especially one for receiving something such as a coin or letter. The word slot may also refer to:
A position or period of time, as in a schedule or program: I have my eight o’clock slot on Thursdays for meetings. A part or place in a structure or machine: The coin slipped easily into the slot.
In gambling, a reel or set of reels that spin when a button is pressed to activate the machine. Most modern slots do not use levers or other mechanical operations, but instead are operated via buttons and touchscreens. Some feature a skeuomorphic lever as a design element, but most are completely digital.
Winning combinations and payouts are determined by a random number generator on each spin. The odds of a particular symbol landing in a winning combination are listed on the pay table, which can be found through a ‘help’ or ‘i’ button on the touch screen or by asking a slot attendant for assistance.
The RNG also determines how much the machine holds after a win, which affects the frequency and size of jackpots. However, players cannot feel a change in hold, which has been proven to decrease the average amount of time spent on the machine. In addition, it would be illegal for casinos to alter the machines to payout more or less at certain times of day. While it does seem that slots tend to have more winners at night, this is likely due to more people playing them at that time.