The slot is an area in front of the goal on a hockey rink that affords a vantage point for attacking players. Hockey coaches emphasize the importance of defending the slot to prevent scoring opportunities. The term is also used to refer to a position or assignment, such as a job opening or a time slot in a series of events:

In programming, the slot attribute on a slot> element can be used to bind a child component to its parent, as demonstrated below. This feature is useful for delegating rendering logic to a child component without exposing its internals to the rest of the application through global variables. This technique is similar to the use of scoped slots in manual render functions.

Traditionally, slot machines were governed by physical mechanical mechanisms that adjusted the odds of symbols appearing on each reel on a regular schedule perhaps two weeks long. With the advent of microprocessors, however, it became possible for the computer inside a slot machine to “weight” individual symbols. This resulted in a disproportionate number of winning symbols appearing on the payline, even though their actual frequency was based on a much lower probability.

Modern slot machines employ video screens, buttons instead of handles, and accept player loyalty cards in lieu of coins. They generate upwards of three-quarters of all casino revenue and are the driving force behind efforts to legalize gambling in more states. Research by psychologist Robert Breen has shown that slot machines lead people to a level of involvement with gambling three times as fast as other games, and can cause an addiction.