Zimbabwe gambling dens
November 24th, 2009 at 0:21
The entire process of living in Zimbabwe is something of a risk at the moment, so you may imagine that there might be little desire for visiting Zimbabwe’s gambling halls. Actually, it seems to be working the opposite way, with the desperate economic conditions creating a greater eagerness to gamble, to attempt to locate a fast win, a way from the difficulty.
For nearly all of the people surviving on the meager local wages, there are two established styles of gambling, the national lottery and Zimbet. Just as with almost everywhere else on the planet, there is a national lotto where the odds of succeeding are surprisingly low, but then the winnings are also very high. It’s been said by economists who look at the concept that many do not purchase a ticket with a real expectation of winning. Zimbet is founded on either the national or the English football leagues and involves determining the outcomes of future matches.
Zimbabwe’s casinos, on the other foot, pander to the exceedingly rich of the society and sightseers. Up till recently, there was a very substantial sightseeing industry, founded on nature trips and trips to Victoria Falls. The market collapse and associated conflict have carved into this trade.
Amongst Zimbabwe’s gambling dens, there are two in the capital, Harare, the Carribea Bay Resort and Casino, which has five gaming tables and one armed bandits, and the Plumtree Casino, which has only slots. The Zambesi Valley Hotel and Entertainment Center in Kariba also has only slots. Mutare has the Monclair Hotel and Casino and the Leopard Rock Hotel and Casino, both of which offer gaming tables, slot machines and video poker machines, and Victoria Falls has the Elephant Hills Hotel and Casino and the Makasa Sun Hotel and Casino, the two of which has slot machines and blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.
In addition to Zimbabwe’s casinos and the above mentioned lottery and Zimbet (which is very like a parimutuel betting system), there are also two horse racing complexes in the country: the Matabeleland Turf Club in Bulawayo (the 2nd municipality) and the Borrowdale Park in Harare.
Since the economy has deflated by more than 40 percent in recent years and with the connected deprivation and crime that has cropped up, it isn’t well-known how well the vacationing business which is the backbone of Zimbabwe’s casinos will do in the next few years. How many of the casinos will still be around until things get better is merely unknown.