A slot is a narrow opening in a surface, typically used for receiving something like coins or a pin. It may also refer to a time slot for a television or radio programme, which is a pre-determined time when it will be broadcast.
A spinning slot machine has reels with symbols that are randomly arranged when the player activates it with a lever or button (either physical or on touch screen). These machines usually have multiple paylines that can be lined up to create winning combinations, and they are associated with various payout values depending on their type and how they align. The payouts and jackpots of a slot game are described in its paytable.
Modern slot games use random number generators to determine the results of each spin, allowing players to experience a fair betting experience even though they have a house edge. This is a big improvement over the older mechanical machines that required people to physically insert cash or, in ticket-in, ticket-out machines, barcoded paper tickets that had to be manually verified to register a win or loss.
The pay table of a slot game provides a list of the regular symbols, their payouts and jackpots as well as details on any bonus features that the game might have. These tables can be found on the machine itself, but more often, they are displayed in a separate window in the online version of the game.