The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the current time, so you could think that there might be very little desire for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In reality, it seems to be operating the opposite way, with the desperate economic circumstances leading to a bigger eagerness to play, to try and locate a fast win, a way out of the problems.
For many of the citizens surviving on the abysmal local money, there are two popular forms of gaming, the national lottery and Zimbet. Just as with almost everywhere else in the world, there is a national lottery where the probabilities of profiting are extremely low, but then the jackpots are also remarkably high. It’s been said by market analysts who understand the situation that many don’t buy a card with the rational assumption of hitting. Zimbet is based on either the national or the British football leagues and involves determining the results of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, on the other shoe, pander to the extremely rich of the nation and travelers. Until a short time ago, there was a very substantial sightseeing business, based on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The economic anxiety and associated violence have carved 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 one armed bandits, and the Plumtree Casino, which has only slot machine games. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has just slot machines. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the pair of which offer gaming tables, one armed bandits and video poker machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, both of which has slot machines and table games.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the aforementioned talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a pools system), there are also 2 horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Since the market has diminished by more than 40 percent in recent years and with the associated deprivation and conflict that has come about, it isn’t well-known how healthy the vacationing business which funds Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the next few years. How many of them will carry on till things improve is merely unknown.