What is a Slot?

A narrow opening, hole, or groove into which something fits. A slot in a schedule or program authorizes a planned activity, such as an aircraft take-off or landing. In air traffic control, a slot is an authorized time and place for an aircraft to operate at a busy airport.

A slot machine has reels that spin when you press a button or pull the lever. When symbols align on pay lines, you win. Modern machines use microprocessors to assign a different probability to each symbol on each reel, and they can have multiple paylines. The earliest slots used poker symbols, such as spades, hearts, diamonds, and horseshoes. The inventor of the modern slot machine, Charles Fey, replaced them with Liberty bells and other symbols to increase winnings.

You might have a lot of fun playing the slots at a casino, but you shouldn’t spend more than you can afford to lose. Read about how to play responsibly, set limits on your winnings, and get help if you have a gambling problem.

You’ve checked in, passed security, found your gate, struggled with the overhead lockers and finally gotten settled into your seat on the plane. But then the captain announces, “We’re waiting for a slot.” What does that mean and why does it take so long?