A position in a group, series, or sequence. “He’s the top man for the job”; “She has a slot in the band.”

In a machine-based game, a slot is a gap on a mechanical device where coins or, in the case of “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, paper tickets with barcodes are inserted. The machine then activates the reels, and if the symbols match a winning combination on a payline, the player earns credits according to the paytable. Symbols vary by machine, but classic symbols include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens. Most slots have a theme, and bonus rounds often align with this theme.

A slot is also a term used in gambling to describe the amount of time it takes for a progressive jackpot to reach its maximum amount, and then drop back down again. This is why some players avoid playing these types of games, and only play them when the jackpot has reached a level where it makes sense to do so.

On video games, the number of pay lines a player can win is listed on the pay table, usually in small tables displayed with different colours and showing the symbols that represent each possible winning line. If there are any special symbols, such as wilds or scatters, they are usually described in the pay table too. Alternatively, these details may be accessible through a help menu. On older mechanical machines, these information tables are located above and below the area containing the reels, or may be prominently displayed on the face of the machine.