A narrow notch, groove, or opening, as on a typewriter key or in the wing of an airplane. Also: a position in a group, series, sequence, or hierarchy. From Middle Low German slot, from Old Dutch *sluta, from Proto-Germanic *sleutana, related to the verb sleutana (“to lock”).

The slot element is a dynamic placeholder that either waits for content (a passive slot) or calls out for it (an active slot). It can contain either an action that specifies how a specific repository item should be added to it (a targeter) or a renderer that determines how the content in a slot should be displayed on the page.

In a slot machine, the reels are arranged in a particular pattern to create winning combinations. Players can insert cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode to activate the machine and start spinning the reels. The machine then rearranges the symbols and if the symbols match up, credits are awarded based on the paytable.

A random number generator (RNG) is a vital part of any slot game because it ensures that the results of each spin are independent of any previous or accompanying spins, and that no one can predict the outcome of a given spin. This is important because it means that strategies based on patterns in previous outcomes are ineffective. It’s also why chasing a payout that you believe is due doesn’t work — the result of any slot spin is determined by chance, not skill.