A slot is an opening or position into which something may be inserted. The term is used in several ways, both in everyday language and in technical and scientific contexts.

A time slot in a broadcast schedule.

A time period in which a particular activity must take place.

An area in front of the goal between the face-off circles on an ice hockey rink.

A slit, hole, or narrow opening, especially one for receiving or admitting something, such as a coin or a letter.

The area in front of the goal between the face-off lines on an ice hockey rink is called the slot.

In the United States, a slot machine is a type of gambling machine that uses revolving mechanical reels to display and determine winning combinations. The reels are spun by a lever or button operated by the player. A modern electronic slot machine may use a random number generator to determine the outcome of a spin, but the concept remains the same.

Slots are often considered addictive and can be very profitable. However, they are also dangerous. Psychologists have found that people who play video slot machines reach a debilitating level of involvement in gambling three times faster than those who play other casino games. In addition, many video slot machines have high volatility, meaning that large payouts are less frequent but the jackpots when they occur are larger.

In the United States, the public and private availability of slot machines is highly regulated by state governments through gaming control boards. These bodies oversee casinos, lotteries, and video lottery terminals. Some states, such as Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, do not restrict private ownership of slot machines; others, such as Connecticut, Hawaii, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, prohibit it or only allow it if the machines are older than a certain age.