What Is a Slot?

A narrow notch or opening, as in a keyway in machinery or the slit for coins in a vending machine.

A position in a schedule or program, especially one with specific times and dates. A slot is also a reserved time for an aircraft to take off or land, as authorized by air-traffic control.

In football, a small receiver who runs shorter routes, such as slants or quick outs, to create space for himself and stretch the defense. Increasingly, NFL teams use these types of receivers to take advantage of the superior speed of fast-paced receivers like Tyreek Hill and Brandin Cooks.

When you’re playing slots, you’ll want to look for a game that has recently paid out. One easy way to do this is to check the video results of a particular game and see how much it’s cashed out. This will give you an idea of how often the game pays out and whether it’s worth your time to play it.

If you’re playing a slot with multiple paylines, symbols and bonus features, you may need to refer to the pay table for more information. This will list all of the different symbols and how much you can win for landing them on a winning payline. It will also let you know if there are any Wild symbols and explain how they work. You’ll find this on the help screen of most slot games or directly on the machine itself.