The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the current time, so you could imagine that there would be little desire for supporting Zimbabwe’s casinos. Actually, it appears to be working the other way around, with the atrocious economic conditions creating a higher eagerness to bet, to try and find a quick win, a way out of the crisis.

For the majority of the locals surviving on the abysmal local wages, there are two established types of gambling, the national lotto and Zimbet. As with almost everywhere else on the globe, there is a state lottery where the probabilities of winning are unbelievably tiny, but then the jackpots are also surprisingly high. It’s been said by financial experts who study the concept that most don’t purchase a card with the rational expectation of profiting. Zimbet is based on one of the local or the English football divisions and involves predicting the outcomes of future games.

Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, on the other hand, cater to the astonishingly rich of the state and sightseers. Up until recently, there was a exceptionally large tourist industry, centered on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The economic woes and connected conflict have carved into this trade.

Amongst Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slot machines, and the Plumtree Casino, which has just the slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only one armed bandits. Mutare contains the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the two of which offer table games, one armed bandits 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 offer gaming machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.

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

Since the economy has contracted by beyond forty percent in recent years and with the connected poverty and crime that has come to pass, it isn’t known how healthy the tourist business which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s gambling dens will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will be alive till things improve is simply not known.