The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a risk at the current time, so you could envision that there might be very little affinity for going to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In fact, it appears to be operating the opposite way, with the awful market circumstances creating a bigger desire to bet, to try and discover a fast win, a way out of the problems.
For nearly all of the locals surviving on the meager nearby wages, there are two established types of wagering, the national lottery and Zimbet. Just as with almost everywhere else in the world, there is a state lottery where the chances of profiting are surprisingly tiny, but then the winnings are also surprisingly high. It’s been said by financial experts who study the subject that many don’t buy a card with an actual belief of hitting. Zimbet is based on one of the national or the British soccer divisions and involves determining the outcomes of future games.
Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other foot, pander to the exceedingly rich of the country and travelers. Up until a short time ago, there was a very large sightseeing industry, built on safaris and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic anxiety and associated crime have carved into this trade.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has five gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree gambling den, which has just the slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only one armed bandits. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the pair of which offer gaming tables, slots and video machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the two of which offer slot machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the previously talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is considerably like a parimutuel betting system), there are a total of two horse racing complexes in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the market has shrunk by beyond 40% in the past few years and with the associated deprivation and bloodshed that has resulted, it isn’t well-known how well the vacationing industry which supports Zimbabwe’s gambling dens will do in the near future. How many of the casinos will still be around until things improve is merely unknown.