A narrow notch or groove, such as a keyway in machinery or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also:

A fixed time for an aircraft to take off or land, as assigned by an airport or air-traffic authority. Used to avoid congestion or as a means of reducing fuel burn.

In online slot games, a pay table is an information guide that shows players how much they can win for landing specific combinations of symbols on a payline. It can also display additional game rules, including free spins and bonus rounds. A good understanding of the pay table can make it easier to play a particular slot game.

Initially, slot machines were fairly simple devices, with only a few paylines and limited numbers of symbols. But over the years, slot games have become more complicated. Today, it is common for a slot to feature multiple payline patterns, a wide variety of game symbols and rules, and several different ways to trigger bonus features. All of this data can be overwhelming for a new player.

Fortunately, many casinos offer informational tools to help players navigate this sea of information. A pay table is an important tool that shows the regular payout values for each symbol, along with how to trigger and activate a bonus game. It can also indicate which symbols are wild, which can substitute for other game symbols and help create winning combinations. It can also explain how to activate a progressive jackpot.