The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you may envision that there would be very little desire for patronizing Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In reality, it seems to be working the other way, with the desperate economic conditions leading to a greater ambition to play, to try and find a quick win, a way out of the problems.
For many of the locals living on the meager nearby money, there are 2 popular forms of wagering, the national lottery and Zimbet. Just as with most everywhere else in the world, there is a state lotto where the chances of profiting are remarkably low, but then the prizes are also surprisingly large. It’s been said by economists who look at the subject that the lion’s share do not buy a card with the rational expectation of winning. Zimbet is centered on one of the local or the United Kingston football divisions and involves determining the results of future games.
Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, on the other foot, mollycoddle the extremely rich of the country and tourists. Until recently, there was a very substantial sightseeing industry, based on safaris and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic woes and connected conflict have carved into this market.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and one armed bandits, and the Plumtree gambling den, which has only slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only slot machines. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, both of which contain table games, slots and electronic poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the two of which has slot machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the aforestated alluded to lottery and Zimbet (which is considerably like a parimutuel betting system), there is a total of two horse racing complexes in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Seeing as that the market has contracted by beyond forty percent in recent years and with the connected poverty and conflict that has come to pass, it isn’t known how healthy the tourist industry which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will survive till conditions get better is simply not known.