A slot is a narrow opening, especially in a machine or container, for inserting something such as coins. You can also use it to refer to a position in a series or sequence. If you slot something into it, you put it into a space where it fits easily, such as when you slide a card into the card reader on your mobile device.
A computer inside a modern slot machine can determine the probability of a specific symbol appearing on each reel, but to the player the symbols appear to be random. When a winning combination is found, the player earns credits according to the paytable displayed on the machine. Depending on the machine, players can either insert cash or, in ticket-in, ticket-out machines, a paper ticket with a barcode. Most slots have a theme and feature classic symbols such as fruits, bells or stylized lucky sevens.
In football, a slot corner is tasked with covering the slot receiver, an important position for an offense because they catch passes all over the field. The slot corner needs to be well conditioned and have the athletic ability to stay with fast receivers. Slots are also used to limit the number of aircraft that can take off or land at congested airports. Air traffic managers issue these authorizations (called “slots”) based on runway capacity and other constraints. The airlines that are granted a slot must adhere to strict operating parameters.