A
slot machine (
American English), informally
fruit machine (
British English),
puggy (
Scottish English slang),
the slots (
Canadian and American English),
poker machine (or
pokies in slang) (
Australian English and
New Zealand English) or simply
slot (
American English), is a
casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed. Slot machines are also known as
one-armed bandits because they were originally operated by one
lever on the side of the machine as opposed to a button on the front panel, and because of their ability to leave the gamer impoverished. Many modern machines are still equipped with a legacy lever in addition to the button. A gambler strategically operating multiple machines in order to draw the highest possible profits is called a
multi-armed bandit.