This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"Situated well within a niche that appears to be an oasis in the desert is gaming machine maker WMS Industries (NYSE: WMS)," says growth stock specialist Ian Wyatt.

The editor of Top Stock Insights explains, "Gaming technology has not struggled as much as casino operators as there is still a need for new equipment to drive traffic to casinos."

The advisor continues, "WMS is engaged in the design, manufacture, and distribution of gaming machines and video lottery terminals (VLTs) for customers in gaming jurisdictions worldwide. Its offering consists of video gaming machines, mechanical reel gaming machines, and video poker gaming machines.

"While gaming certainly has taken a hit in the wake of the economic downturn, slot machine makers operate in a unique space that may be one of the few that has the ability to weather economic volatility, as states look to slots as a way to boost tax receipts.