The act of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you may think that there might be little affinity for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. In reality, it seems to be functioning the opposite way, with the critical economic circumstances leading to a greater desire to gamble, to try and discover a fast win, a way from the problems.
For the majority of the citizens subsisting on the abysmal local wages, there are two common forms of gambling, the state lotto and Zimbet. As with most everywhere else in the world, there is a state lotto where the chances of succeeding are remarkably tiny, but then the jackpots are also remarkably big. It’s been said by market analysts who understand the concept that most don’t purchase a card with an actual expectation of hitting. Zimbet is centered on either the local or the English football divisions and involves predicting the outcomes of future games.
Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other shoe, mollycoddle the very rich of the society and vacationers. Up till a short time ago, there was a considerably big tourist business, based on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and associated violence have carved into this trade.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree Casino, which has just the slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only slots. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the pair of which have gaming tables, slot machines and electronic poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, both of which offer video poker machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the above talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a parimutuel betting system), there are a total of two horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has deflated by beyond 40 percent in recent years and with the associated poverty and bloodshed that has arisen, it is not understood how healthy the vacationing industry which is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will carry on till things get better is basically not known.
