The prospect of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the moment, so you could think that there might be little desire for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. Actually, it seems to be working the opposite way, with the crucial economic conditions creating a greater desire to play, to attempt to discover a quick win, a way from the situation.
For many of the locals living on the tiny local money, there are two dominant types of betting, the state lottery and Zimbet. Just as with almost everywhere else in the world, there is a national lotto where the probabilities of succeeding are extremely low, but then the winnings are also surprisingly high. It’s been said by economists who study the subject that most don’t purchase a ticket with an actual belief of winning. Zimbet is centered on either the national or the English soccer leagues and involves predicting the results of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s gambling halls, on the other hand, mollycoddle the very rich of the country and tourists. Up till not long ago, there was a extremely big tourist business, founded on safaris and visits to Victoria Falls. The market anxiety and associated bloodshed have carved into this market.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has five gaming tables and slots, and the Plumtree Casino, which has only slots. 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 pair of which offer gaming tables, slots and video poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, each of which has video poker machines and tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the previously talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is very like a parimutuel betting system), there are also 2 horse racing tracks in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the second city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Given that the economy has diminished by more than forty percent in recent years and with the associated poverty and crime that has come to pass, it isn’t understood how well the tourist industry which is the foundation for Zimbabwe’s gambling dens will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will still be around until things get better is simply unknown.
Comments