For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"The market is looking increasingly fragile -- and our top pick for 2008 is a stellar investment that has all the makings of a bear-market killer: The Vice Fund (VICEX)," says Eric Roseman, editor of Commodity Trend Alert.

"This fund will do well as long as people continue to drink, smoke and gamble. The fund might not be the most wholesome investment in your portfolio, but it sure earns a big score for making bundles of dough from many industries currently shunned by investors and portfolio managers.

"And best of all, as the economy contracts, stocks in its highly concentrated and aggressive portfolio usually grow their corporate earnings while the broader market corrects. Bull or bear, it doesn't matter. The Vice Fund can generate profits in any economic environment -- provided people continue to gamble, drink and smoke.

"Launched in 2002, the Vice Fund is advised by Mutual Advisors, Inc, a small outfit with $177 million under management. But its size is actually highly advantageous to investors because of its ability to quickly enter and close trades and buy some companies that might be thinly traded.

"Since the first 'one-armed bandit' was introduced in the late 1800s, slot machines have become a thriving multi-billion dollar global industry," says says Nathan Slaughter. "And International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is the '800-pound gorilla' in the slot machine industry" he explains in his Half-Priced Stocks.

And while he notes that the earliest slot machines were crude mechanical devices, the latest are "technological marvels," equipped with rich high-resolution plasma monitors, stereo surround-sound speakers, live streaming video, and other features.

And looking ahead, Slaughter explains, there are other exciting developments on the horizon to look forward to -- such as server-based gaming, where entire banks of slot machines connected to a central server can be reconfigured instantly.

In Nevada, he notes, slot revenues surpassed those generated by blackjack and other table games in 1981 and never looked back. Last year, he observes, they accounted for 66% of total casino revenues statewide.

Macau -- an 11-square-mile territory on the southern coast of the People's Republic of China -- is a "gaming hotbed," notes Beth Gaston Moon, an analyst with Schaeffer's Investment Research. Indeed, Macau saw 2006 gambling revenue up 22% to $6.95 billion. For the first time on record, its gaming revenue exceeded that of Las Vegas.

As the technical analyst -- known for her contrarian investment strategy -- points out, "These figures affirm Macau's status as a region to be reckoned with in the world of blackjack and baccarat." Here, she looks at the investment opportunities in the region:

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) was the first stateside company to begin operations in Macau. Moon explains, "In 2004, the company built the Sands Macau, the largest casino in the world (in terms of the number of table games)."

Next in line was Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN), which she notes built the Wynn Macau in 2006. A third player, whose casino is slated for construction over the next year is the MGM Grand (NYSE: MGM).

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is a favorite speculative pick for 2007 from Dan Sullivan, editor of The Chartist. The advisor, who specializes in relative strength, notes, "IGT is a leading designer and maker of microprocessor-based gaming devices, including video poker machines and video and reel-spinning slot machines.

"Due to its market share, financial strength, and innovative game designs, IGT is well-positioned to benefit from industry growth both in the U.S. and abroad. Many states have -- or are considering -- legalizing or expanding gaming as a way to generate tax revenue. Currently, casino gambling is legal in 20 states. And increasingly slot machines are being introduced to race tracks across the country.

"Also, many of the old-style machines, which are not chip-based, are candidates for replacement as casinos strive to provide the newest and hottest games for their gamblers. Both areas should be a strong revenue source for IGT over the next several years.