The act of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a risk at the current time, so you could think that there might be little appetite for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In reality, it seems to be operating the opposite way, with the atrocious market conditions creating a greater eagerness to gamble, to try and locate a fast win, a way from the difficulty.

For the majority of the citizens living on the meager nearby wages, there are 2 common forms of wagering, the national lotto and Zimbet. Just as with practically everywhere else on the globe, there is a state lottery where the chances of winning are remarkably small, but then the jackpots are also surprisingly large. It’s been said by economists who understand the situation that many don’t buy a card with the rational expectation of profiting. Zimbet is based on either the national or the English soccer leagues and involves determining the outcomes of future matches.

Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other hand, pamper the incredibly rich of the society and vacationers. Up till a short time ago, there was a very large tourist industry, built on safaris and visits to Victoria Falls. The economic anxiety and associated conflict have cut into this trade.

Among Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree gambling hall, which has only slot machine games. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only slots. Mutare contains the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the two of which contain gaming tables, 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 casinos and the above mentioned lottery and Zimbet (which is quite like a pools system), there are a total of 2 horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.

Given that the economy has diminished by beyond 40 percent in recent years and with the connected deprivation and violence that has come to pass, it isn’t well-known how well the sightseeing business which supports Zimbabwe’s gambling halls will do in the near future. How many of the casinos will still be around till conditions get better is merely not known.