Historically, tumultuous times offer some of the best opportunities to buy stocks, and the market's recent mess surely qualifies. There aren't many companies that get investors excited today, but many investors think casino operator MGM Mirage (NYSE:MGM) is worth a hard look.

In our Motley Fool CAPS community, 78% of the 1,225 investors rating the company are bullish, so there's no shortage of reasons why MGM Mirage will thrive, three of which I've highlighted below.

But here at The Motley Fool, we're all for looking at both the good and the bad sides of an investment. Once you're done with this article, you can read the case against the stock, weigh in with your own comments below, or rate MGM Mirage yourself in CAPS.

1. Las Vegas CityCenter
MGM Mirage recently opened the first phase of its CityCenter development, and some CAPS members think that despite the glum economy, it has potential to drive lots of revenue and boost earnings. While smaller companies like Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ:PENN) have properties across the nation, MGM Mirage is betting big on Las Vegas and expects CityCenter to hold a strong spot for a long time, without any new significant supply coming into that market for at least five to 10 years.

2. Vegas improvement
Las Vegas has been hit hard by weak tourism, similar to cruise-ship operators like Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) and airlines like Continental (NYSE:CAL) and Delta (NYSE:DAL), but investors have been encouraged by some recent good news. In November, gambling revenue grew for the first time in nearly two years and visitor traffic had its third monthly increase, which is good news for casino operators like MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS), and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN).  

3. Macau dreams
While MGM Mirage brings in a smaller percentage of its business from Macau than rivals, some CAPS members like the Chinese gambling destination's prospects, and the company may be looking to focus more of its efforts there. It's looking to relaunch its MGM Grand Macau brand and could raise up to $1 billion in a Hong Kong IPO.

To see details of what CAPS members are saying now about MGM Mirage, just click on over to Motley Fool CAPS and have a look -- or add your own thoughts directly to this story in the comments box below.