A slot is a narrow notch, groove or opening, such as a keyway in a machine or a slit for a coin in a vending machine. The word is also used to describe a position in a series, sequence or schedule. For example, a visitor might book a time slot in advance to visit the museum.
Casinos have a reputation for being high-stakes, high-pressure games of chance where fortunes can be won or lost in seconds. But these days, slot machines are the backbone of casinos, and generate almost 85 percent of their profits.
To play a slot machine, a player inserts cash or, in “ticket-in, ticket-out” machines, a paper ticket with a barcode into a slot on the machine’s reels. The reels then spin and stop to rearrange symbols into combinations. When a winning combination appears, the machine pays out credits based on its paytable. Symbols vary by game, but classic symbols include fruits, bells and stylized lucky sevens. Most slots have a theme that aligns the symbols and bonus features with the theme.
Administrators and contact center managers can use slots to identify customers by name, account number or other piece of information. Previously, slots were only accessible from specific intents; now, they are available to multiple intents, improving efficiency and simplifying the process of building bot flows.