Slots Definition – What is a Slot?
A slot is a narrow opening into which something fits, such as a coin into a machine or a door. The term also refers to a position in a group, series, or sequence. You might say, for example, “She’s in the third slot in her class” or, “I have an early morning slot on Thursday.” A slots definition is also used to describe a time or place for an aircraft to take off or land as authorized by an airport or air-traffic authority: “40 more slot requests have been approved by the FAA,” for instance.
In conventional mechanical slot machines, the player inserts cash or, in ticket-in, ticket-out machines, a paper ticket with a barcode. A lever or button (either physical or on a touchscreen) is then activated, which spins and stops the reels. When a winning combination of symbols lines up with the pay line, the machine pays out credits according to the pay table. The symbols vary by machine, but classics include stylized lucky sevens and fruit.
The secret to slots is the random number generator, or RNG, which assigns a different number to every possible combination of symbols on each reel. The computer records the sequence and finds a corresponding reel location. It then causes the reels to stop at those placements, and the results determine whether a player wins or loses. The number of possible combinations is astronomical, so players never have to worry about someone beating them with split-second timing, as they would in blackjack or poker.