Gambling has deep roots in Zimbabwe, stretching back to colonial horse racing legalised in 1914 and a state lottery launched in 1935. For decades betting meant the turf clubs and casinos; today the culture is dominated by football betting and neighbourhood betting houses, driven by a young, mobile-first population and a difficult economy. Attitudes are genuinely mixed: widespread participation coexists with real concern from churches and commentators about gambling harm.

Colonial origins

Organised gambling in Zimbabwe began under colonial Southern Rhodesia. Betting on horse racing was legalised in 1914, though the early rules barred bets from children and, discriminatorily, from Africans. The Mashonaland Turf Club was founded in 1892 and remains the body behind organised racing; racing later settled at Borrowdale Park in Harare, which became the country’s principal racecourse. A state lottery was launched in 1935, but Africans were only permitted to buy tickets from 1959, a reminder of how race shaped the early industry.

From racecourse to betting house

For much of the 20th century, gambling meant horse racing, lotteries and hotel casinos. The Lotteries and Gaming Act [Chapter 10:26] later brought these under a single regulator, the Lotteries and Gaming Board, licensing casinos, lotteries and bookmakers.

The biggest cultural shift has been the rise of sports betting, now the clear leader in the industry. In Harare and other cities, soccer betting houses have proliferated, and academic research has documented them functioning as a livelihood option for young men in a country with high unemployment. Betting on English and European football, and the local Premier Soccer League, is a daily social ritual for many.

What Zimbabweans actually bet on

  • Football/soccer betting the dominant product, both in-shop and online.
  • Horse racing centred on Borrowdale Park, the historic core of the industry.
  • Casino games and slots at licensed hotel casinos such as the Regency casino at Rainbow Towers in Harare.
  • Lotteries legal since 1935 and still played today.
  • Aviator and crash games fast, app-friendly games (Aviator is known locally as Kandege) that have become especially popular with younger, mobile-first bettors.

Local operators

The domestic market is served by LGB-licensed bookmakers including AfricaBet (Africa Gaming Pvt Ltd), which runs both retail shops and an online platform, Moors World of Sport (MWOS) and Bezbets. Land-based casino gaming is offered at venues such as the Regency casino at Rainbow Towers, while horse racing is organised through the Mashonaland Turf Club at Borrowdale Park.

Attitudes and concerns

Zimbabwe’s relationship with gambling is ambivalent. On one hand, betting is deeply embedded in daily life and, for some young men, an economic lifeline. On the other, churches, commentators and some officials warn about problem gambling, youth exposure and household harm, fuelling calls for tighter regulation and consumer protection. The steep 2026 tax increases have added a further layer of public debate about how the industry should be governed.

You must meet the legal minimum age to gamble in Zimbabwe. Gambling should be entertainment, not a way to make money. If it stops being fun, take a break and seek support.

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