A slot is a time and place allocated for an aircraft to take off or land as authorized by an air-traffic control system. The use of slots to manage congestion at busy airports has led to major savings in delays and fuel burn. A slot is also a term used in computing, referring to an expansion port for devices such as an ISA or PCI card or an AGP slot on a motherboard.
Penny slot machines were once all but ubiquitous in casinos and a staple of the American gambling experience. The bright lights, jingling jangling, and frenetic activity of these games made them irresistible to many casino visitors.
Slot receivers are typically smaller and faster than traditional wide receivers, and they tend to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Their ability to be in a good spot at the snap and their speed make them valuable targets for quarterbacks who use slant routes and sweeps. They are also vital blockers on running plays, including pitch plays and end-arounds.
The paytable for a slot machine tells players what symbols to look for and how much they will win if they land three, four, or five of them in a row. The paytable will also explain any special symbols, such as Wild or Scatter symbols, together with how they work and what the rules are for them. Slots can have up to a hundred different pay lines, and some machines allow you to choose which ones you want to bet on, while others have fixed pay lines.