What Is a Slot?

A slit, opening, or narrow space in a machine, container, etc., that accepts a coin or other item for deposit and thereby triggers a mechanism to record or payout results. Also called a reel, compartment, hopper, or payline.

A time or place at which something may be done; an opportunity: She hoped to find a time slot for the appointment that didn’t conflict with her class schedule. Also: a position, position, or opportunity: The job of chief copy editor at the Gazette occupied a prime slot in his career.

In airport traffic management, a slot is an authorization for a plane to take off or land at a particular airport on a specific day and during a specified time period. The slot is part of a system that limits the number of flights at extremely busy airports and helps to prevent repeated and unnecessarily lengthy delays caused by too many aircraft trying to take off or land simultaneously.

A slot is a dynamic placeholder that waits for content (a passive slot) or calls out to a renderer using a scenario (an active slot). A slot can also contain a name attribute, which allows developers to define the contents of a given slot. For more information about slots, see the documentation on the element-details page for the slot> element. Creating a successful slot game is a complex undertaking that requires extensive market research and risk assessment. This process is important to help identify risks and ensure that the final product meets its objectives.