In modern Zimbabwe, betting shops are widespread. They are found not only in town and city centers but also in suburban regions. This is a cause for concern as there are many bars around. 

The Lotteries and Gambling Board is responsible for licensing all betting shops in the country and is also supposed to enforce at least minimum standards for legal betting. Some people complain that gambling in Zimbabwe has become too much and that it harms individuals and entire families. At the same time, there is another opinion—that gambling has always been widespread. The main difference is the openness that characterizes modern times. And this openness guarantees at least some degree of regulation.

If there were no legalization, the situation with online gambling and other such entertainment would be much worse. As a result, even those who are strictly against gambling consider local licenses to be the lesser of evils. 

Colonial Zimbabwe had a rather puritanical attitude to gambling. However, this puritanism is mainly concerned with the official part. Thus, betting on horse races was legal from the very beginning. Interestingly, horse race betting was not treated as gambling during colonial rule. It required knowledge, not blind luck, to reap the rewards. Accordingly, horse racing was seen as a game of skill, while the lottery, for example, was prohibited. However, in 1934, a public opinion poll was conducted on opening a state lottery due to growing pressure. As a result, the lottery was allowed on a par with horse racing, while other gambling continued to be banned.

Then, tourist resorts in Victoria Falls, Kariba, and Nyanga were allowed to have strictly controlled casinos.

As a result, the betting industry grew to enormous proportions—it was held not only on weekends but also on weekdays. The situation was further complicated by the fact that many online betting platforms started to appear. For example, locals have recently become increasingly interested in cricket betting, particularly on matches within the Indian Premier League. Therefore, they can easily download IPL betting apps from the internet and start betting.  

This resulted in the local population losing a considerable amount of money. After Zimbabwe gained independence, the government kept tight control and restrictions on legal gambling for horses and the state lottery. But when new technology emerged, it became difficult to control the ban—and eventually, the decision was made to accept and control gambling. Supporters of this decision believe that if things had gone underground, the situation would have been much worse. 

At the moment, those who are addicted to gambling can expect to get help. However, the Ministry of Interior and Cultural Heritage is still more concerned with whether the license holder will abide by the rules rather than the subsequent consequences. And this is a situation that will need to change—for example, tackling gambling in residential suburbs.