A slot is a narrow opening in something or somewhere, for example a machine that accepts coins. The word is also used as a name for a job or position, especially that of chief copy editor: he had the slot at the Gazette.

In video slot machines, there are usually several pay lines, giving the player many different combinations to win when the reels stop spinning. This feature is what makes them so much more fun to play than traditional mechanical ones.

Some players use various strategies to improve their chances of winning, such as moving on to a new machine after a short period of time or after getting some nice payouts (under the assumption that the machine will tighten up for them next time). However, these tactics are useless, since every spin is random and past results have no bearing on future outcomes.

A slot is a dynamic placeholder that waits for or calls out content (via a scenario) to be displayed on a page. The content that a slot displays is dictated by its repository item or by the targeter for the slot. Using slots in conjunction with scenarios allows ATG to provide personalized experiences without having to write and maintain custom code. Several slot properties are important for offer management. See the Using Slots chapter in the ATG Personalization Programming Guide for details.