The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is something of a risk at the moment, so you could imagine that there might be little affinity for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. In fact, it seems to be operating the other way around, with the critical economic conditions creating a higher ambition to play, to try and find a fast win, a way out of the problems.
For the majority of the locals subsisting on the tiny local money, there are 2 dominant styles of wagering, the national lottery and Zimbet. As with practically everywhere else in the world, there is a national lottery where the probabilities of profiting are unbelievably small, but then the jackpots are also remarkably big. It’s been said by economists who understand the idea that many don’t purchase a card with the rational belief of profiting. Zimbet is founded on one of the national or the United Kingston soccer divisions and involves predicting the results of future games.
Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, on the other shoe, pander to the incredibly rich of the society and travelers. Up till a short while ago, there was a very substantial sightseeing business, based on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The market collapse and connected violence have carved into this market.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, there are 2 in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slot machines, and the Plumtree Casino, which has just the slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only slots. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, both of which contain table games, slots and video poker machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, both of which offer slot machines and tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the above mentioned lottery and Zimbet (which is very like a parimutuel betting system), there are a total of 2 horse racing complexes in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has shrunk by more than 40% in the past few years and with the associated deprivation and violence that has arisen, it is not known how healthy the sightseeing business which funds Zimbabwe’s gambling dens will do in the near future. How many of the casinos will carry through till conditions get better is simply not known.
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