A narrow notch or groove, usually a hole for receiving something, as a coin in a slot machine. Also: a position in a group, series, or sequence. (From Middle English, slit, from Old English slath, to slit). Also used figuratively: A position in a program or schedule; an assignment. He was slotted into a job at a large company. A time slot is a place in the schedule when an activity can take place. He booked a time slot a week in advance.

A slot is a dynamic placeholder that either waits for content (a passive slot) or calls out to a renderer to fill it with content (an active slot). The contents of a slot are dictated by a scenario using an Add Items to Slot action or by a targeter which points to a repository item. This content is then displayed by the renderer. Despite the increased probability of hitting winning symbols, the number of possible combinations is still limited by the physical design of the reels. Casino managers resist increasing the house advantage on slots, as players can detect these hidden price increases and choose to play elsewhere. Consequently, a slot can pay out multiple times in a row without reaching the jackpot size. Nevertheless, slot games are a popular form of gambling and many people enjoy playing them for fun or for real money. However, before you start playing slots you should know a few basic rules: