The act of living in Zimbabwe is something of a risk at the moment, so you might envision that there would be little desire for supporting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. In reality, it seems to be operating the opposite way, with the desperate economic circumstances creating a higher ambition to play, to try and discover a fast win, a way out of the situation.
For nearly all of the people living on the abysmal local wages, there are 2 dominant forms of gaming, the national lotto and Zimbet. As with most everywhere else on the globe, there is a national lotto where the odds of profiting are unbelievably low, but then the winnings are also unbelievably high. It’s been said by economists who study the concept that many don’t purchase a ticket with a real expectation of hitting. Zimbet is based on either the national or the British soccer divisions and involves determining the outcomes of future games.
Zimbabwe’s casinos, on the other shoe, pander to the incredibly rich of the state and sightseers. Until recently, there was a considerably substantial tourist business, built on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The economic woes and associated violence have cut into this market.
Among Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree gambling hall, which has just the slot machine games. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has just slots. Mutare contains the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, both of which offer table games, slots and video poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the two of which has video poker machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the aforementioned talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a pools system), there is a total of 2 horse racing tracks in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Seeing as that the market has contracted by more than 40% in recent years and with the associated poverty and crime that has resulted, it is not understood how healthy the tourist business which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will still be around till conditions get better is simply unknown.