What Is a Slot?

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A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as in a door or a piece of machinery. Also: a position in a sequence or series; an assignment or job opening. To put into or assign to a slot: “The Stamford Bridge crowd cheered as Florent Malouda slotted in a cross from Drogba.”

A slot is the space on the reels of a slot machine that contains symbols, and the number of available symbols determines the payout. The symbol array varies by manufacturer, but typically includes the same fruit (cherries, oranges, lemons) and Bar symbols as well as the Seven and other classical icons.

The earliest slot machines were based on poker card games. Players inserted a coin and depressed a lever to spin five drums holding fifty card faces, which then delivered a win or loss based on the arrangement of the cards in each drum. The first electromechanical slot machines were introduced in the 1950s, followed by video slot machines in 1975.

Despite their random operation, it is easy for anyone with reasonable math skills to calculate the payback of any slot machine, using the PAR sheets produced by manufacturers. It is also perfectly clear that the randomness principle, married to the paytable, dictates the payback. The myth that slots become looser and tighter to meet a specified payback is created by people who haven’t run the numbers.