The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is something of a gamble at the current time, so you may envision that there would be little desire for patronizing Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. Actually, it appears to be functioning the opposite way, with the awful market circumstances leading to a higher ambition to play, to attempt to locate a fast win, a way out of the difficulty.
For many of the locals living on the meager local wages, there are two established styles of gambling, the national lottery and Zimbet. Just as with most everywhere else in the world, there is a national lotto where the probabilities of succeeding are unbelievably small, but then the winnings are also unbelievably large. It’s been said by economists who look at the subject that many do not purchase a ticket with the rational assumption of hitting. Zimbet is centered on one of the domestic or the British soccer leagues and involves predicting the results of future games.
Zimbabwe’s casinos, on the other hand, pander to the very rich of the nation and travelers. Up till a short time ago, there was a exceptionally big tourist business, centered on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The market anxiety and associated violence have carved into this market.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are 2 in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has five gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree gambling den, 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, the two of which have table games, 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 has video poker machines and tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling dens and the above talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a parimutuel betting system), there are also 2 horse racing tracks in the nation: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Since the economy has contracted by more than 40% in the past few years and with the connected poverty and violence that has arisen, it is not well-known how healthy the sightseeing industry which funds Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of them will survive till things get better is basically unknown.