The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is something of a risk at the current time, so you might think that there would be little desire for going to Zimbabwe’s casinos. Actually, it seems to be operating the other way around, with the critical economic circumstances leading to a higher desire to gamble, to attempt to find a quick win, a way from the situation.
For most of the people living on the meager local money, there are 2 popular forms of gambling, the national lottery and Zimbet. As with most everywhere else on the planet, there is a national lottery where the chances of profiting are extremely low, but then the winnings are also very high. It’s been said by economists who study the idea that many do not buy a ticket with the rational belief of profiting. Zimbet is centered on one of the domestic or the British soccer leagues and involves predicting the results of future games.
Zimbabwe’s casinos, on the other shoe, pander to the very rich of the state and sightseers. Up till a short while ago, there was a considerably large tourist business, centered on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and associated violence have cut into this trade.
Among Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has five gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree Casino, 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, the pair of which have table games, slots and electronic poker machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, both of which has video poker machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the above talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a pools system), there is a total of two horse racing complexes in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second metropolis) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Since the market has diminished by more than 40% in recent years and with the associated poverty and violence that has come to pass, it isn’t understood how healthy the tourist business which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will carry through until conditions improve is simply not known.