A slit or other narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, as a coin or a letter. Also: A position within a sequence or series; an assignment. See also slot (definition 1).
The area on a computer motherboard into which an expansion card or other device fits. Also known as a ISA, PCI or AGP slot. The term can be used to describe the position of a particular component in the slot as well, such as an audio or graphics card.
On a slot machine, the player inserts cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode, into a designated slot on the machine, which activates reels that spin and stop to rearrange symbols. When a winning combination is completed, the player receives credits based on the pay table. The payout amount, symbols and other bonus features vary by machine. Most slot games have a theme.
Popular strategies say that players should move on to another machine after a short time or after a few nice payouts (under the assumption that the machine will tighten up). These techniques are useless, as every spin is independent and random, and there is no such thing as a machine getting hot or cold.
The biggest dangers in playing slots are getting greedy or betting more than you can afford to lose. Take the time to establish your gambling goals and set limits before you start spinning – this will help to keep your gambling experience fun and responsible.