The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the current time, so you could envision that there would be very little desire for patronizing Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. Actually, it appears to be functioning the opposite way around, with the atrocious economic conditions leading to a bigger ambition to play, to try and locate a quick win, a way out of the problems.
For most of the locals surviving on the abysmal local money, there are 2 popular styles of betting, the state lotto and Zimbet. As with practically everywhere else in the world, there is a national lottery where the probabilities of profiting are surprisingly low, but then the winnings are also very big. It’s been said by financial experts who understand the concept that many do not buy a ticket with a real belief of hitting. Zimbet is based on either the local or the English football divisions and involves determining the results of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other shoe, cater to the astonishingly rich of the society and vacationers. Until not long ago, there was a very large sightseeing industry, based on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and connected bloodshed have cut into this market.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are two 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 slot machines. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, both of which offer gaming tables, slots and electronic poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the pair of which offer slot machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the above mentioned lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a parimutuel betting system), there are also two horse racing complexes in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Since the market has diminished by beyond 40% in the past few years and with the associated deprivation and violence that has come to pass, it isn’t known how well the tourist business which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the near future. How many of the casinos will survive till conditions get better is merely unknown.