A slot is a narrow notch or groove, especially one for receiving something, as a keyway in machinery or a coin slot. It also refers to a position in a group, series, or sequence; e.g., a time slot in a schedule or an air-traffic slot at an airport. From Old French esclot, from Old Norse slod (“track”). Compare sleuth.
In a casino, a slot is a device that accepts cash or paper tickets with barcodes. It then gives the player credits based on a paytable. Many slots have a specific theme, with classic symbols including fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Some have bonus features that can increase the player’s winnings.
A slot is also a term used in computer hardware to describe an expansion card, such as an ISA or PCI slot. A slot may also refer to a reserved position on a CPU motherboard for an expansion card.
Some people believe that a slot machine has a higher chance of paying out after it’s had a cold streak. However, this belief is incorrect, as the random number generator inside the slot machine generates thousands of numbers every second, and each spin is independent of the previous one.