A slit or other narrow opening, especially one for receiving something, as a coin or letter. Also: an appointment, berth, billet, position, window, spot, etc. (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition).

In a computer, a space in memory or on a disk that is reserved for a particular type of data. A slot is usually indicated by a short vertical bar on the display screen. (Computer Networks) a reserved address space in a network. The slots are numbered and have specific names. The slot number and name are used for identification and routing purposes. (Internet) a portion of the IPv4 address space allocated to each network node. (Internet) a logical grouping of addresses, usually into several blocks of size 16 bytes. The logical groupings are assigned by the network administrator and can be configured as needed.

The first electromechanical slot machine was slot bet 200 developed in 1894 by Charles Fey. It was called the Liberty Bell machine and was very popular throughout the United States, even during prohibition. But it was the advent of the Internet that really pushed the slot industry forward – online casinos and downloadable software allowed developers to build virtual games that were free of mechanical parts and relied on random number generators.

The popularity of online slots has continued to rise and new providers have entered the market. Some are even focusing on developing HD quality slot games. However, it is important to remember that just because a slot pays out frequently in practice play doesn’t mean it will pay out reliably when you are playing for real money.