A slot is a narrow opening or space, as on the face of a machine or container, through which something may pass, such as a coin or a key. The word also refers to a position in a series or sequence, as in The company slots people into different job titles.

In a casino, a slot is the area where customers place their chips in order to play games like poker or blackjack. Some slot machines are designed with extra wide spaces for large denominations, while others have a narrow gap for smaller denominations.

One of the most important aspects of playing slot is learning when to stop. Many people get caught up in the excitement of winning, but it is crucial to understand when enough is enough and walk away from the game. If you are not careful, you can quickly spend more than you intended to and never recover.

In aviation, a slot is an authorization to take-off or land at an airport at a specific time during a given day. This type of air traffic management is used to prevent delays caused by too many planes trying to take off or land at the same time. It has been successfully used in Europe for over 20 years, and the system is being rolled out around the world. This is expected to increase efficiency and save money in both operations and fuel. It is also expected to reduce congestion at highly congested airports, especially those with limited runway capacity.