A narrow depression, groove, notch, or slit, especially one in a door, piece of furniture, or wall that can receive something, such as a coin or letter. Also, in linguistics, a grammatical position within a construction into which any of several morphemes can fit. Compare rim (def 2).
A slot machine is a gambling machine with reels that spin when you push a button (or pull a lever on older machines). The symbols on the reels line up in a random combination. If they match, you win a sum of money. Many modern slot games have extra features like bonuses, multipliers and progressive jackpots, which increase the odds of winning. But they aren’t necessary to have fun, and keeping track of all the possible combinations can make the game confusing and frustrating.
Modern machines use a computer system to control their results. The program is carefully designed to achieve a certain payback percentage. This means that the casino will take some of the bets placed on the machine, but will give back most of them over time.
The program also controls how often a slot machine pays out. This is called its “tightness.” Tight machines don’t pay out as frequently as loose ones. But they do still pay out, even if it’s rarely. Some players believe that a machine is “due” to pay out after losing a long time, so they play it hoping that luck will change their fortunes. This is a waste of time. The results of each spin are random, so no machine is ever due to hit.