The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you may imagine that there would be very little affinity for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In reality, it seems to be working the opposite way around, with the critical economic conditions creating a greater eagerness to wager, to try and locate a quick win, a way from the problems.
For most of the locals living on the abysmal nearby wages, there are two established types of betting, the state lotto and Zimbet. Just as with practically everywhere else on the globe, there is a state lotto where the odds of profiting are surprisingly tiny, but then the prizes are also remarkably high. It’s been said by economists who study the concept that many do not purchase a ticket with the rational assumption of hitting. Zimbet is based on one of the national or the UK football divisions and involves determining the outcomes of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, on the other shoe, cater to the incredibly rich of the country and sightseers. Up until a short while ago, there was a exceptionally big tourist industry, built on nature trips and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and associated 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 five gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree gambling hall, which has only slot machines. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has just slot machines. Mutare contains the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the two of which have gaming tables, slots and electronic poker machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the two of which have slot machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the above mentioned lottery and Zimbet (which is very like a parimutuel betting system), there is a total of two horse racing tracks in the nation: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has contracted by beyond 40 percent in recent years and with the associated deprivation and violence that has cropped up, it isn’t understood how well the sightseeing business which supports Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will carry on until things get better is merely not known.
