A narrow notch, groove, or opening, such as one for a key in a lock, a slit for coins in a machine, or a position within a group, sequence, or hierarchy. Also: a slot in the wing of an airplane used to guide airflow over the wing and control surfaces.

In gambling, a slot is a number that appears on the pay table of a slot machine or video game, listing the number of credits the player will receive if the particular symbols line up on a winning pay line. The pay table is generally displayed above and below the reels of a slot machine or in a help menu on a video screen. A slot can also refer to an expansion card such as an ISA, PCI, or AGP slot on a computer motherboard.

While a gambler’s ego might tell him or her that the next spin of a slot machine will be the one that wins, there is no way to predict whether a slot will hit based on previous outcomes. Modern slot machines use random-number generators to determine the outcome of each spin.

The slot receiver is a position in American football that has gained popularity, thanks to offenses that feature multiple wide receivers and tight ends. The slot receiver is typically positioned pre-snap between the last man on the line of scrimmage and either the offensive tackle or tight end. The slot receives the ball after the tight end and before the wide receiver.