A narrow opening, often in a machine, used for receiving coins or other items. He dropped a coin in the slot and dialled. Also called hole, slit, vent, aperture, or channel.
In a slot game, a player inserts cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode, into a slot on the machine. The machine activates when the slot is pushed or pulled (physically, by a handle or button on a physical machine, or by a touchscreen). Reels then spin and stop to rearrange symbols, and the player earns credits based on the paytable. The winning combinations are randomly determined by a random number generator, which sets thousands of numbers every second.
The odds of a particular combination are not the same on each subsequent spin, thanks to the random-number generator in every modern slot machine. However, it is possible to mathematically figure out the chances of a given combination, and the odds of any one machine hitting that jackpot in a split-second. This knowledge can be very useful to slot players, as it allows them to choose the best machine to suit their goals. In addition, it reassures players that they did not miss their chance to win simply by leaving the slot machine before the winning combination appeared. (See also probability, variance, and risk.)