A narrow notch, groove, slit, or aperture, especially one for receiving coins in a machine. Also: a position or time in a schedule, program, etc. The show was slotted into the broadcasting schedule.
In a slot machine, players insert cash or, on ticket-in, ticket-out machines, paper tickets with barcodes. They then press a lever or button (either physical or virtual on a touchscreen) to activate the reels and randomly land symbols on them. If the winning combination matches a pay table entry, the player earns credits based on the amount listed on the table. Symbols and bonus features vary depending on the theme of the game.
In theory, it’s possible to predict when a slot is going to hit, but in practice, it’s impossible. Online casino slot games use random number generators (RNGs) to generate a sequence of numbers every second, then stop at a set of symbols. The RNG can’t predict whether those symbols will line up on a payline or trigger a bonus feature, so it’s impossible to tell when the next big win is coming. If you can’t predict when a slot is about to hit, you won’t be able to maximize your wins or minimize losses.