The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is something of a risk at the current time, so you could imagine that there would be very little affinity for supporting Zimbabwe’s casinos. Actually, it appears to be operating the other way, with the desperate economic circumstances creating a greater ambition to bet, to attempt to discover a quick win, a way from the difficulty.

For many of the locals living on the meager nearby wages, there are two popular styles of wagering, the state lotto and Zimbet. Just as with most everywhere else on the globe, there is a state lottery where the probabilities of succeeding are remarkably low, but then the jackpots are also very large. It’s been said by financial experts who look at the idea that many don’t buy a card with an actual belief of winning. Zimbet is built on either the domestic or the British soccer divisions and involves determining the results of future games.

Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other hand, cater to the exceedingly rich of the country and sightseers. Until not long ago, there was a very large tourist industry, founded on safaris and trips to Victoria Falls. The market collapse and connected conflict have cut into this trade.

Among Zimbabwe’s casinos, there are 2 in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has 5 gaming tables and slot machines, and the Plumtree gambling den, which has only slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has just slots. Mutare contains the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, the two of which have gaming tables, one armed bandits and video 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 tables.

In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the above mentioned 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 second city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.

Since the market has deflated by more than forty percent in recent years and with the connected deprivation and violence that has come about, it isn’t understood how healthy the sightseeing business which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will still be around till conditions improve is simply not known.