A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as in a machine, for receiving something such as a coin.

In a computer game, a slot is a specific position in a sequence of spins of the reels that can yield various combinations of symbols. The slots can also be arranged into groups called paylines that form winning patterns with certain symbols. Most slots have a theme that includes a storyline or characters and bonus features aligned with that theme.

Another meaning of the word slot is a period of time that a person or machine occupies in a schedule or sequence. For example, a hair salon might book appointments for the 2 p.m. slot. A slot can also refer to an authorization given by air traffic control for a flight at a busy airport to take off or land during a specified time.

While playing slots can be a lot of fun, it’s important to stay responsible and play responsibly. To do so, it’s helpful to set limits for yourself before starting to play. Also, it’s important to familiarize yourself with how a particular slot machine works before making a wager. For instance, it’s a common belief that machines that have gone long periods of time without paying out are “due to hit” soon. However, this is not true for most machines. The best way to determine how a machine pays is to read the machine’s pay table. Moreover, it’s important to avoid the fallacy that maximum bets bring the highest payback percentages.