A narrow opening for receiving something, such as coins or a letter: a mail slot on the door of a building. Also called slit, aperture, notch, and hole.

Slot (noun) 1. an elongated depression, groove, notch, or slit, especially one for receiving coins, letters, or tokens: a coin slot on the back of a vending machine; a letter slot in a door: a mailbox slot; a window slot: A car seat belt slots easily into place. 2. a position in a schedule or program, or in the case of aviation, an assigned time and place for taking off or landing: He hoped to get a slot at the newspaper.

With slot machines producing the bulk of casino profits, it’s vital that gaming managers keep players happy. To do that, they must know which game features are making players stay at games longer—and then make sure those features are present in their new releases. A number of companies have sprung up to help them solve the puzzle: Data analytics firms like ReelMetrics, SG Connect, and others provide information on player behavior that can inform game development. More than that, though, “hands-on experience playing the actual games is the best way to discern what players want,” says SG’s Mastropietro. And that’s why the company just launched a tool, SG Connect, that allows its operator customers to track players’ behaviors and make informed decisions about what to feature in new titles. Its goal is to help casinos grow their revenue by offering superior games.