A slot is a position on a board game or game piece that can be occupied by a player. The term is also used to describe the set of possible positions on a computer or other device that can be occupied by software. For example, a graphical user interface may offer a number of rows and columns to hold icons. A slot in the UI of an application might be used to display a progress bar or to allow a user to select actions.

When used in aviation, a “slot” is the right to use a runway at a busy airport for either a takeoff or landing. There are only so many runways at these airports, and the slots are allocated to airlines based on demand. Airlines are able to trade or lease slots to each other in order to gain access to the airports they need to operate their flights. Without these restrictions, airports would be so congested that they could not serve their customers.

In a slot machine, a player inserts cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode into a designated slot. The machine then activates the reels and stops them when they are in a winning combination of symbols. A payout based on the paytable is awarded to the player. The symbols vary with the theme of the slot and can include classics such as fruit, bells and stylized lucky sevens.

In addition to the traditional reels, modern video slots feature 5, 7 and sometimes even 9 paylines and multiple bonus features. They often have themes from popular movies, TV shows and comic books, and can feature characters from these sources as well as their own unique graphics.