A position in a group, series, or sequence. The job of chief copy editor, for example, is a slot in the newspaper. A slot is also the name of a position or time for an airplane to take off or land, as authorized by an airport or air-traffic control authority: 40 more slots for the new airline at U.S. airports. In ornithology, a narrow notch or other similar opening between the tips of the primaries of certain birds, which during flight helps to maintain a smooth flow of air over the wings.

In a video game, a position in a grid of dots (or cells) that can be filled by shooting at them. The word derives from the Latin slatus, meaning “hole”.

Often, players try to improve their chances of winning by moving on to a different machine after playing for a certain amount of time, or after having some good payouts (under the assumption that the machine will tighten up). However, studies have shown that these strategies are useless, because the random number generator inside each slot machine does not take into account the results of previous spins.

Moreover, although some people believe that it is easier to win at night, this is merely due to the fact that there are more people playing at those times and not because slots pay out less or more than they would in a random situation. Regardless, the best way to understand how a slot works is by reading its pay table and learning about its volatility.