The act of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a risk at the moment, so you might envision that there might be little appetite for going to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In reality, it appears to be functioning the other way, with the desperate market conditions leading to a larger eagerness to gamble, to attempt to locate a quick win, a way out of the situation.
For most of the citizens living on the abysmal local money, there are 2 popular styles of wagering, the national lottery and Zimbet. As with practically everywhere else in the world, there is a state lotto where the chances of hitting are extremely low, but then the winnings are also remarkably large. It’s been said by market analysts who look at the idea that the majority don’t purchase a ticket with a real expectation of profiting. Zimbet is based on one of the national or the British soccer leagues and involves predicting the results of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other foot, look after the considerably rich of the state and tourists. Up until a short time ago, there was a extremely large tourist business, built on safaris and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and associated conflict have cut into this trade.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, 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 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 table games, slot machines and video machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, both of which offer slot machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens and the previously talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a parimutuel betting system), there is a total of two horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has diminished by more than forty percent in the past few years and with the associated poverty and conflict that has arisen, it isn’t understood how well the tourist industry which supports Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the next few years. How many of them will be alive till conditions get better is merely not known.