A narrow depression, notch, slit, or aperture. Also used in linguistics to denote a position within a construction into which any one of a set of morphemes can fit, as in a rim.

In the 19th century, the Sittman and Pitt company developed a slot machine in which players dropped coins to activate games for each spin. They paid out winning poker hands if the symbols lined up on the pay line. Charles Fey made a few improvements to the machine, including allowing multiple bets and displaying a carousel of symbols, such as diamonds, hearts, spades, horseshoes, and Liberty Bells. The Liberty Bells were the highest-paying symbol.

The pay table, displayed on the face of the machine, shows for each combination of symbols and coin bet how much the player will win. The pay table also includes information about other features, such as a progressive jackpot and a service or help button. Some machines have a credit meter that displays the player’s total bet and credits. In a live casino, these meters may be illuminated by a candle, while video slot machines display them on the screen.

When playing slot online, game designers can let their imaginations run wild to offer creative bonus events such as a mystery chase through the Crime Zone in NetEnt’s Cash Noire or outer-space cluster payoffs that replace paylines in ReelPlay’s Cosmic Convoy. These are fun additions to a traditional game, but it’s important to keep in mind that slot games can be highly addictive. A 2011 60 Minutes report found that players of video slots reach a debilitating level of gambling involvement three times more quickly than those who play other types of casino games.