A slit or other narrow opening, as a keyway in machinery, a slit for a coin in a vending machine, etc. A position, especially a particular one in a sequence or series. Also, a bar or bolt used to fasten a shut door, closed window, etc. From Middle Dutch slit, Old Low German slita, from Proto-Germanic *slutila (compare slitter).
In online slots, the pay table will usually be displayed as a small table showing how much you can win for landing various combinations of symbols on a payline. It might also explain how the game’s bonus features work, for example if it has free spins rounds, mystery pick games or other exciting elements such as re-spins or cascading symbols.
The slot is a key element of the game and it determines how often you can hit winning combinations. It’s also why slots are from a mathematical point of view ‘negative expectancy’ games, which means that the reward for a winning combination is less than the risk you take by playing them.
Slots are allocated by slots coordinators to airlines based on their requests and the need to balance load factors in a given airport. At times of high congestion, they may be available for sale. Those that are purchased typically come with huge benefits to both passengers and airlines, including savings in delays and fuel burn. This is the advantage of central flow management. It has been around for twenty years and has proved its worth in Europe, especially during the coronavirus crisis when air travel was at its lowest ebb.