Slots and Sunshine - How Zimbabwe's casinos compare to the rest of the world

Long gone are the days when spending quality time at a top resort and casino was solely the domain of the rich and famous in the USA and Europe. Casino gambling has become an international phenomenon, both in the real world and in the online world.

Of course, if you prefer online casino gambling, you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home. In fact, more and more Zimbabweans are switching over to online casino gaming which allows them to not only play from the safety and comfort of home, it allows them to access a range of international casinos too.

You may, in fact, be surprised to learn that Zimbabwe can now hold its own against many of the most desirable international casino destinations around the globe, including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Monte Carlo and many more.

Zimbabwe's two main cities, Bulawayo and Harare, share a total of eight casinos between them. The lion's share goes to Harare, with a total of six casinos and gambling destinations, while Bulawayo is able to offer two.

While not all the casino destinations that these two cities have to offer are equally impressive, there are a few that stand out from the pack. Let's take a look at two of the most popular casinos in both Harare and Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe's Main Casino Attractions

Bulawayo Sun Casino - Bulawayo
Situated within the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds (ZITF), the Bulawayo Sun Casino features a full casino and hotel, complete with a bar serving a variety of drinks and light meals. Currently, Bulawayo Sun hosts close to 100 slot machines as well as a variety of live table games including roulette, blackjack and Varyjack.

Casino Royale - Bulawayo
With its iconic name that sounds as if it teleported directly from Monte Carlo, Casino Royale is the only other casino in Bulawayo. Somewhat smaller in terms of games than the Bulawayo Sun, it nevertheless manages to offer around 40 slot machines and 3 gaming tables. The casino is spread out over two flows with slot machines located on the ground level and live table games on the second floor.

Regency Casino and Rainbow Towers Hotel - Harare
The main casino attraction in Harare, the Regency Casino and Rainbow Towers Hotel offers luxury 5 star accommodation with all the trimmings as well as large capacity conference facilities. The casino side of the property is affiliated with the world famous Regency group and features 100 slot machines and a 12 live table games.

Harare Sun Casino Exhibition Park - Harare
The city's second largest casino destination features over 100 slot machines, 14 live gaming tables, and 2 poker tables. Harare Sun Casino is arguably the premier casino destination in Zimbabwe, even trumping its larger rival the Regency, which goes to show that size isn't everything.

Going Up Against the Big Boys
There are many that would say comparing one thing to another serves no real purpose. While this may be true, we still think it's fun to see just how far we've come along in Zim when comparing casinos with other destinations such as New Zealand and Canada. New Zealanders playing for real money have long had access to online gambling so it is interesting to see that they still boast large land based casinos. The vast selection available to them can be seen at online casino websites like Real-Money-Casinos.co.nz.

Granted, New Zealand has had a bit more time to get the ball rolling and can boast more than a few incredible casino destinations. The biggest and most well-known of these is undoubtedly Sky City in Auckland, NZ. With close to 2000 games and around the clock service, it's tough to beat. Casino Rama in Ontario Canada is a similar sort of set up to Sky City although it does trump Sky City with over 2500 gaming machines on its premises.

Zim still has a bit of catching up to do to match similarly populated countries such as New Zealand. but the experiences are just as good.