The act of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you could imagine that there might be very little desire for going to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. Actually, it seems to be operating the other way around, with the desperate market conditions creating a higher eagerness to bet, to try and discover a quick win, a way out of the problems.
For many of the people living on the meager nearby money, there are two established styles of betting, the national lottery and Zimbet. As with almost everywhere else on the planet, there is a national lottery where the chances of profiting are remarkably low, but then the winnings are also remarkably big. It’s been said by financial experts who look at the subject that the lion’s share do not buy a ticket with an actual expectation of hitting. Zimbet is based on either the local or the United Kingston football divisions and involves determining the results of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s casinos, on the other hand, pander to the very rich of the nation and tourists. Up till a short while ago, there was a exceptionally large tourist industry, centered on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The market woes and associated crime 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 one armed bandits, 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 contain gaming tables, one armed bandits and electronic poker machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the pair of which offer gaming machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the above mentioned lottery and Zimbet (which is considerably like a pools system), there are also 2 horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the market has contracted by more than 40 percent in the past few years and with the connected poverty and conflict that has come about, it is not understood how healthy the vacationing industry which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the in the years to come. How many of the casinos will survive until conditions improve is simply unknown.
