In football, a slot is the position between the primary and secondary receivers. It is the receiver that receives passes thrown underneath or over the middle of the field, as opposed to the deep routes taken by wideouts 1 and 2. Great slot receivers, like Wes Welker, can run a variety of patterns to open up passing lanes and are good at getting open on shorter passes as well.

A slot is also the name of a type of machine. The first mechanical slot machines used revolving reels to display symbols and determine results, but the invention of microprocessors allowed manufacturers to change the probability of winning by changing the numbers on each individual reel.

Another important aspect of a slot is the credit meter, which shows how many coins the player has available to bet. In mechanical machines, this is typically a simple seven-segment display, while video slots use a more stylized display to match the game’s theme and user interface.

In addition, most slot machines have a candle on top that flashes to indicate that the machine is ready to accept coins or paper tickets for payment, that hand pay is requested or that there is a problem with the machine. This is an important safety feature to prevent players from accidentally inserting more money than they intend to spend. It is also a good idea to set a limit for the amount of money you are willing to lose before playing a slot machine, as it can be extremely addictive.