Its hard to feel lucky when a pandemic spreads across the globe. The novel coronavirus sank a number of betting and gambling stocks. Its possible that some of them wont 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:

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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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, thats allowed the stocks 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. Thats probably a smart move, and it might also be a smart move to accumulate LVS stock shares today.

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

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

Yet Esports Entertainment may have an edge over most traditional gambling companies today. This companys 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 its an early entrant into what could be a very lucrative niche.

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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 2020s 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 stocks 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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If youre 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.

Theres 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 Nationals 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 Barstools explosive growth on the TikTok platform, where it now has over 9 million followers. Thats an impressive reach, and it could be the key to higher long-term prices in PENN stock.

DavidMoadel has provided compelling content and crossed the occasional line on behalf of Crush the Street, Market Realist, TalkMarkets,FinomGroup,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

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These 5 Gambling Stocks Could Help You Hit the Jackpot - Investorplace.com