A slot is a narrow depression, groove, or opening, such as a keyway in a piece of machinery or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. It is also a position in a group, series, or sequence: The game’s second-ranked player occupied the slot before the third-ranked one.

The word may also refer to a particular type of slot machine, as in “a penny slots game” or “a three-reel slot.” It may also be used as a verb, meaning to set in place or insert something: The man placed the book into the slot. It may also refer to a particular period of time: I parked in the slot for 2 p.m.

In computing, a slot is a place in memory or on disk where a certain kind of data can be stored. In this sense, it is similar to a directory or folder, but it can contain any type of data. It is sometimes called a slat or a segment because of its shape: a segmented hard drive would have many different slots, each with its own capacity.

Another definition is a logical position, such as the last in a queue or the first in a series. It is also a term in Australian rules football and rugby, where it refers to the space between the posts that a ball must be kicked into for a goal. In the latter sense, it is often shortened to simply slot.

Modern slot machines are designed to allow players to win multiple jackpot levels or bonus events. These can include free spins, pick-a-prize bonuses, or extra reels that award bigger wins. Some of these bonus events require specific symbols to line up, while others are more random, like a re-spin that starts when a certain symbol appears on the screen.

While slots are games of chance, it is possible to play them responsibly by knowing what to look for. A good place to start is by reading up on a slot’s pay table and help menu. Many online casinos provide these for each game, and it is important to know how they work. You can also try out the game before you deposit any money.

The earliest known slot machines were created in the 19th century by New York-based companies Sittman and Pitt. Their machines had five spinning drums that displayed poker cards, and winning was achieved by lining up winning combinations. In the 1980s, manufacturers started using microprocessors to program their slots. This allowed them to assign different weights to each symbol on each reel, allowing more combinations. However, this could confuse the player, as a winning symbol might appear very close to other symbols. To counteract this, some games use a different type of bonus system that rewards players when a specific combination of symbols is hit. This is known as a “progressive” or “interactive” slot. These types of slots often feature Wilds, which act as substitutes for other symbols and can trigger other features like jackpot levels or bonus events.