A narrow depression, notch, slit or opening, especially one that admits something, such as a coin in a slot machine. Also figuratively, a position or vacancy, as in a schedule or program. The program got a new time slot on the broadcasting schedule.
A slot is a slot machine that operates on a random number generator (RNG) to determine the positions of symbols on a reel. When a player presses the “spin” button, a series of symbols land randomly on the reels and a winning combination earns a prize. A pay table lists the amount of credits a player will receive for each symbol that lines up on the machine’s pay line. Many slot machines also have wild symbols that can substitute for other symbols to form a winning line.
Slot games are popular with players because of their randomized nature and frequent payouts. Research has shown that a significant percentage of gamblers enjoy the gambling experience as a way to relieve pain and distress from depressive or anxious symptoms. The intermittent rewards in slots may capture the attention of players and distract them from other negative thoughts, thus making the experience pleasurable. In this study, we investigate the effects of the type of slot game on reward reactivity using two novel psychophysiological measures that require no cumbersome electrodes or wires. We find that different types of slots are associated with different levels of reward reactivity. This finding suggests that future research on this topic should focus on identifying the characteristics of slot games that are most likely to be enjoyable for players.