The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a risk at the moment, so you may think that there might be little desire for supporting Zimbabwe’s casinos. In fact, it appears to be functioning the opposite way around, with the awful economic conditions creating a larger eagerness to gamble, to try and discover a quick win, a way from the crisis.
For almost all of the people surviving on the abysmal nearby wages, there are 2 dominant styles of betting, the national lotto and Zimbet. As with practically everywhere else in the world, there is a national lottery where the chances of succeeding are surprisingly small, but then the prizes are also extremely high. It’s been said by market analysts who study the concept that most do not purchase a ticket with an actual assumption of profiting. Zimbet is based on either the national or the English football divisions and involves predicting the outcomes of future games.
Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other shoe, pander to the exceedingly rich of the state and sightseers. Up till recently, there was a very big sightseeing business, based on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic anxiety and connected conflict have carved into this trade.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are 2 in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slot machines, and the Plumtree Casino, which has only slot machines. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has just slots. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, both of which have gaming tables, slots and video machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, both of which offer gaming machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens and the previously talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a pools system), there are also two horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second metropolis) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has diminished by more than 40% in the past few years and with the associated poverty and bloodshed that has resulted, it is not well-known how well the sightseeing industry which funds Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the in the years to come. How many of the casinos will carry through until conditions improve is simply unknown.