The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you might imagine that there would be very little affinity for patronizing Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In fact, it seems to be working the other way, with the atrocious economic conditions creating a greater desire to wager, to try and locate a fast win, a way from the crisis.
For the majority of the locals living on the abysmal local earnings, there are two established types of betting, the national lotto and Zimbet. As with almost everywhere else on the globe, there is a state lotto where the chances of hitting are surprisingly low, but then the jackpots are also surprisingly large. It’s been said by financial experts who understand the situation that the majority do not buy a ticket with a real belief of profiting. Zimbet is built on one of the local or the United Kingston soccer divisions and involves determining the outcomes of future games.
Zimbabwe’s casinos, on the other shoe, look after the astonishingly rich of the nation and tourists. Up until not long ago, there was a very big sightseeing industry, centered on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The market woes and connected violence have carved into this trade.
Among Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, there are 2 in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree gambling den, which has just the slot machine games. 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, the pair of which contain table games, slots and video machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, each of which offer slot machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the previously alluded to lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a parimutuel betting system), there are a total of 2 horse racing complexes in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second metropolis) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has contracted by beyond 40% in the past few years and with the associated deprivation and conflict that has resulted, it is not well-known how healthy the vacationing business which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will carry on until conditions improve is merely unknown.