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The act of living in Zimbabwe is something of a gamble at the current time, so you may think that there might be very little appetite for supporting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. In reality, it appears to be working the other way around, with the critical market circumstances creating a higher ambition to play, to try and find a fast win, a way from the crisis.
For nearly all of the locals living on the tiny local wages, there are two dominant forms of wagering, the state lottery and Zimbet. As with almost everywhere else in the world, there is a state lottery where the chances of profiting are remarkably tiny, but then the winnings are also extremely large. It’s been said by economists who look at the idea that the lion’s share do not purchase a ticket with the rational assumption of profiting. Zimbet is centered on one of the domestic or the United Kingston soccer divisions and involves determining the results of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other foot, cater to the incredibly rich of the nation and sightseers. Up till recently, there was a very substantial sightseeing business, centered on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic woes and associated conflict have cut into this market.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, there are 2 in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slot machines, and the Plumtree gambling hall, which has only slot machines. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only one armed bandits. Mutare contains the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the pair of which contain table games, one armed bandits and video poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the two of which have video poker machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens and the above alluded to lottery and Zimbet (which is very like a parimutuel betting system), there are also 2 horse racing tracks in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has deflated by beyond forty percent in the past few years and with the associated poverty and conflict that has come about, it is not understood how healthy the tourist business which is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of them will survive until things get better is basically unknown.
