A slot (plural: slots) is a position in a construction, a word, or an object that can be filled with a morpheme. This word is a part of the vocabulary of many languages, including English.

Unlike video games, where the effect of sound has been studied in isolation from other sensory modalities, sounds accompanying winning combinations on modern multiline slot machines present a perceptual onslaught for players. In the visual domain, symbols responsible for a win are often animated to distinguish them from non-winning ones, and in the audio domain there is a synchronised onslaught of music and sound effects that amplify the winning symbol’s appearance. This may have a stronger impact on gambling behaviour than the isolated effects of music in other studies.

The slot is an ancient gambling machine that still attracts players today. It combines engineering acumen, mathematical knowledge and psychological deceit into a beautiful package. It may be surprising to learn that the Random Number Generator central to the slot’s function has not changed very much since its introduction in 1887, and new innovations in gambling game systems often copy features from older machines.