A narrow notch, groove, or opening, such as a keyway in machinery, a slit for a coin in a vending machine, or an area on an aircraft wing that serves to guide airflow over the surface of the wings. Also: (Australian rules football, rugby) a space close to an opponent’s goal that affords a good vantage point for an attacking player.

A slot can be accessed from any intent, and is especially helpful for bots that require customer account information or identity verification. This enhancement improves efficiency and reduces the effort required to build bot flows.

An allocated time and place for an aircraft to take off or land, as authorized by the relevant airport or air-traffic control authority: ‘The airline had a slot for our flight.’

In a slot game, a player inserts cash or, in ticket-in, ticket-out machines, a paper ticket with a barcode into a designated slot on the machine. The machine then activates a series of reels that spin and stop to rearrange symbols. If a winning combination is triggered, the player earns credits according to the pay table displayed on the machine’s face. Most slot games have a theme and offer bonus features aligned with that theme.

A separate, separate bonus game for video slots, often requiring the player to select mystery prize boxes in order to advance through the game. Typically, these slot games feature themes aligned with the main game and can be played for free or for real money.