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The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is somewhat of a gamble at the current time, so you might think that there would be little desire for supporting Zimbabwe’s gambling dens. In fact, it seems to be functioning the other way around, with the critical economic conditions creating a greater desire to gamble, to attempt to locate a quick win, a way from the crisis.

For many of the people surviving on the meager local wages, there are 2 dominant forms of wagering, the state lottery and Zimbet. As with most everywhere else on the planet, there is a national lotto where the probabilities of hitting are extremely small, but then the prizes are also unbelievably big. It’s been said by financial experts who understand the subject that the lion’s share do not buy a ticket with the rational expectation of hitting. Zimbet is built on one of the domestic or the United Kingston soccer divisions and involves determining the results of future matches.

Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, on the other foot, pamper the very rich of the state and tourists. Until recently, there was a exceptionally large tourist industry, based on nature trips and trips to Victoria Falls. The economic collapse and associated crime have cut into this trade.

Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, there are two 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 just the slot machine games. 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 have table games, slots and video machines, and Victoria Falls houses the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the pair of which have video poker machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.

In addition to Zimbabwe’s gambling halls and the above talked about lottery and Zimbet (which is very like a parimutuel betting system), there are also two horse racing tracks in the state: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd city) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.

Since the market has shrunk by more than 40 percent in recent years and with the associated deprivation and conflict that has resulted, it isn’t well-known how healthy the tourist business which is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s gambling dens will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will be alive until conditions get better is merely not known.