[ English ]

The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you might think that there would be little desire for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. In reality, it appears to be functioning the opposite way, with the critical economic conditions leading to a greater ambition to play, to try and find a fast win, a way out of the situation.

For nearly all of the locals living on the meager local money, there are 2 dominant forms of wagering, the state lotto and Zimbet. As with almost everywhere else on the globe, there is a national lotto where the probabilities of hitting are surprisingly tiny, but then the jackpots are also remarkably large. It’s been said by financial experts who understand the concept that many don’t purchase a card with a real assumption of winning. Zimbet is based on one of the national or the UK soccer leagues and involves determining the results of future matches.

Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other foot, cater to the considerably rich of the society and sightseers. Until a short while ago, there was a exceptionally large sightseeing business, built on nature trips and trips to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and connected violence 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 slot machines, and the Plumtree Casino, which has just the slot machines. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only one armed bandits. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the two of which offer table games, 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 video poker machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.

In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the aforestated talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is considerably like a parimutuel betting system), there is a total of two horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd metropolis) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.

Seeing as that the economy has shrunk by beyond forty percent in the past few years and with the associated deprivation and bloodshed that has resulted, it is not understood how healthy the tourist business which funds Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the next few years. How many of them will survive until things get better is merely not known.