These 5 Gambling Stocks Could Help You Hit the Jackpot

These 5 Gambling Stocks Could Help You Hit
the Jackpot
Hopefully Lady Luck will be on your side with these risky-
but-exciting gambling stocks
By David Moadel May 18, 2020, 9:01 am EDT

Source: Shutterstock

It’s hard to feel lucky when a pandemic spreads across the globe. The novel coronavirus sank a
number of betting and gambling stocks. It’s possible that some of them won’t survive, but others
should rebound — sooner or later.

Taking a stake in gambling stocks is, like the games themselves, speculative. But there may be
compelling value propositions in certain stocks that have been beaten down. Here are five to
consider:

  •     Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS)
  •     Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ:CZR)
  •     Esports Entertainment (NASDAQ:GMBL)
  •     Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD)
  •     Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ:PENN)
These gambling stocks are handpicked for having either strong momentum or turnaround
potential. So, are you ready to spin the big wheel and see if you hit the right numbers?

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Gambling Stocks: Las Vegas Sands (LVS)

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The world-famous Las Vegas Sands brand of resorts and casinos can be spotted throughout Asia
and the United States. And LVS stock was a fairly low-risk investment during times of economic
prosperity.

But as they say, markets come in cycles. The economy is in a down cycle and LVS stock has
struggled to regain its footing since the steep decline in March. However, that’s allowed the
stock’s trailing 12-month price-earnings ratio to get down to around 16, indicating an attractive
valuation.

Plus, the company is adjusting to the downbeat economic climate by scrapping its plan to secure
a gambling license in Japan. That’s probably a smart move, and it might also be a smart move to
accumulate LVS stock shares today.

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Caesars Entertainment (CZR)

Source: Jason Patrick Ross/Shutterstock.com

To see what strength during adversity looks like, check out CZR stock. The price bottomed near
the $3.50 level in March but has steadily worked its way back up towards the $10 price point.

Pre-pandemic price levels show that CZR stock is capable of going higher than that. Besides, the
share-price comeback is pretty amazing considering the fact that Caesars shuttered all of its
North American properties on March 17.

Sometimes stock prices can be a litmus test of a company’s resiliency. In the case of CZR stock,
if it can recover steadily despite massive casino shutdowns, consider what could happen to the
share price when the gambling business picks up again.

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Esports Entertainment (GMBL)

Source: Shutterstock
Not all gambling stocks are affordable, but GMBL stock can be part of your portfolio for less
than $5 per share.

That being said, it’s important to know that the 52-week range for GMBL stock is $2.40 to
$15.75. In other words, this one’s a fast mover sometimes.

Yet Esports Entertainment may have an edge over most traditional gambling companies today.
This company’s focus is on “licensed next generation online gambling” with a focus on esports
betting.

Having online operations could be a major advantage during a pandemic. Plus, Esports
Entertainment was the “first online gambling company trading on an American stock exchange,”
so it’s an early entrant into what could be a very lucrative niche.

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Boyd Gaming (BYD)

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As an owner of 29 gaming and entertainment properties in the United States, Boyd Gaming
might not be a household name. But the company has over 24,000 employees and has been
around since 1973, so Boyd Gaming is truly a mainstay in the gambling business.

Like most other companies in the sector, Boyd Gaming has fallen on hard times. For 2020’s first
quarter, the company posted a net loss of $18.3 million along with disappointing quarterly
revenues of $680.5 million.

All that being said, value investors might feel that BYD stock’s decline is an overreaction. The
shares quickly tumbled from nearly $35 to less than $8. At the time of this writing, the stock is
still trading at less than half of its February peak.

Risk-tolerant investors might consider adding shares at this heavily discounted price.

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Penn National Gaming (PENN)

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If you’re looking for a diversified company in the gambling stocks space, take a look at Penn
National Gaming. From gaming and racing properties to video-gaming terminals and plenty of
slot machines, this company runs the gamut in the gambling space.

There’s no point in trying to deny that Penn National Gaming had a challenging first quarter of
2020. But as CEO Jay Snowden put it, “Penn National’s exciting long-term growth story …
remains fully intact” as the company continues to develop projects like the Barstool Sports
betting app.

In fact, that app could send Penn National Gaming in a whole new, pandemic-proof direction.
Snowden cites Barstool’s explosive growth on the TikTok platform, where it now has over 9
million followers. That’s an impressive reach, and it could be the key to higher long-term prices
in PENN stock.

David Moadel has provided compelling content — and crossed the occasional line — on behalf
of Crush the Street, Market Realist, TalkMarkets, Finom Group, Benzinga, and (of course)
InvestorPlace.com. He also serves as the chief analyst and market researcher for Portfolio
Wealth Global and hosts the popular financial YouTube channel Looking at the Markets. As of
this writing, David Moadel did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities