A position in a group, series, or sequence. In football, a space between the linemen and wing wideouts. Also, the space where a kickoff goes to start play. Often, teams will emphasize speed and quickness in their slot receivers, whereas larger, more physical players might find themselves getting put outside to challenge the secondary.
In a casino, a machine that accepts cash or paper tickets with barcodes (in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines). The slot is activated by a lever or button (either physical or on a touchscreen), which then spins and stops the reels to rearrange their symbols. The number of matching symbols on the payline determines if and how much a player wins. Most slots have a theme, and their symbols, payouts, and other bonus features are aligned with that theme.
In aviation, a time and place allocated by an airport or air-traffic control to an airline for takeoffs and landings. Airlines can purchase slots from their operating authority, and these can be traded for significant amounts of money.
When playing online slots, a player can choose the number of paylines they want to run during each round. This can be a fixed amount (like in brick-and-mortar casinos) or it can vary between games. Some online slots allow players to change the number of lines they play, while others are locked at a fixed number and require them to use all of the paylines in a single game. For this reason, it is important to read online slot reviews and study the rules of each game before playing.