A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as in the keyway of a lock or the slit for a coin in a vending machine. Also: A designated time and place for an aircraft to take off or land as authorized by an airport or air-traffic control authority: We got the slot for the next flight at LaGuardia.

In football, the quarterback either quickly hands off to the Slot receiver or pitches the ball to him in a pre-snap motion. This gives the Slot receiver a full head of steam and makes it harder for the defense to tackle him.

Slot machines have reels and a spinning top, and when you press a button or pull the lever, the reels spin. When the symbols line up in a winning combination, you receive a payout. Modern slots often have multiple paylines, allowing you to choose which ones to activate for each spin. Activating more paylines increases your chances of hitting the jackpot, but it also raises your cost per spin. The number of paylines and the symbols that can appear on them are listed in a machine’s pay table. The pay table can also indicate a game’s variance, which helps you find a slot that fits your bankroll and gameplay preferences. For example, if a game has low volatility, it will likely have frequent small wins, while high-variance games tend to have few but larger payouts. Some machines even feature help screens and a “i” icon on the touch screen that explain these features.