A slit or narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, such as a coin or a letter. Also used to refer to a position or assignment, as in “She has the slot for that role.”
In computers, a slot is an engineered technique for adding capability to a device in the form of connection pinholes, usually in the form of expansion slots that can accommodate plug-in circuitry that provides some specialized functionality, such as video acceleration or disk drive control. Almost all desktop computers come with a set of expansion slots.
When you work with offer management, there are a few slot properties that are important to understand. These are explained in more detail in the Using Slots chapter of the ATG Personalization Programming Guide.
On a slot machine, the computer uses random number sequences to find placements for the symbols on each reel. Then, the reels stop at those locations and the computer determines whether they match a winning combination according to the pay table. The symbols vary depending on the machine and can include classic objects such as fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens.
Some researchers have found that increased hold decreases the time that players spend on machines, but others argue that it is impossible to measure and that a more player-centric review is needed. Regardless, increased hold is an important factor when choosing a slot machine. Be sure to read the pay tables and bonus features carefully before playing. Also, be careful to avoid machines that are located near ticket lines and gaming tables, since they may try to distract you from spending your money on other things.