The Sunday Mail
Prince Mushawevato and Santana Mbano
Sports betting has become a way of life. The phenomenon is tightening its grip around the country by the day as more punters join the fast-growing movement.
Betting shops are sprouting like mushrooms in the rainy season, taking over strategically located buildings some of which previously housed popular imbibing joints like was the case with Sports Diner and Central Bar in the capital.
Bets are placed on anything and everything. From football to dogs, from horses to basketball and cricket. And indeed anything in between.
Football is the most popular target though the long tradition of horse races is still strong.
Suddenly, slot machines, cards, dice and roulette are no longer the go-to places for punters. Casinos are feeling the pinch, or, to borrow from industry parlance, the house is no longer winning.The Home Affairs Ministry, which superintends the Lotteries and Gaming Act and regulates the betting industry, is inundated with applications for licences to set up sports betting shops. Insiders say Government has stopped awarding betting and lottery licences in an effort to limit the surge in gambling.
But unlike in Uganda where there are over 2 000 licenced operators, Zimbabwe is yet to make the licenced operators figures public.
If you can’t beat them…
Some casino oeprators are looking at how they can tap into the sports betting madness.
“The strategy is for us to get into sports betting. We have since applied for licences and if they are granted we are going to abandon the casino business. There is no way the casinos are going to survive this sports betting craze.
“Before the onslaught, we could get between 30 and 50 punters a day but the figure has since dropped to between 15 and 30 punters a day. The casino revenue is seriously depressed and standing at a ratio of 1:10 compared to sports betting. The new trade is attracting thousands of people because of affordability. Some of our clients also now prefer sports betting,” says an operator who does not want to be named.
A senior executive with a betting shop in Harare unabashedly says business is good.Though those in the trade will not give figures, unoficial indications are that sports betting shops are getting as many as 1 500 punters a week.
“Sports betting is now a full-time engagement for most people. Business is booming and we are attracting hordes of punters each day with peak periods being weekends. I, however, cannot give you actual figures since they are a safeguarded company secret,” says Mr Tawanda Mutashu, who is involved in the business.Traditionally, casinos have attracted bigger spenders than those who flock to sports betting outlets.
The Casino Operators Association of Zimbabwe estimates that an individual requires at least US$100 for decent day in a casino. And the odds of winning are decidedly slim.
That same US$100 has better odds of success in sports betting, where wagers start from as little as US$1.
The punters
The temptation is to think that those frequenting these shops have no other sources of income.
But the crowd is diverse in terms of age, wealth, education and future prospects. It is a real potpourri of the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the educated and the drop-outs.
There are two common denominators: punters are largely male and all are eager for a big pay day.
“I have been betting since 2010 and I have not won much. That does not worry me though. As long as there is money and the game is genuine, I’m sure I will one day win. My hope comes from people that I have seen win.
“I’m not formally employed though I sometimes do piece jobs. But I must admit I spend most of my time in this office (betting shop). The money I get paid for piece jobs sponsors this habit. If I’m not hired, I borrow money. This is how I have been able to look after my wife and four kids,” says Mr Tapinda Mambara.
Then there are the ones born under lucky stars.
“I was introduced to this game by a friend about a year or so ago and I have to date won close to US$7 000. When I got retrenched I did not tell my wife. Instead I just told her that I had changed companies. She still thinks I’m formerly employed.
“I have since told her that I’m now working as an internal investigations officer for different betting houses in town. I wake up early in the morning just like every other normal guy and she prepares breakfast for me. When I don’t win, I just tell her the company is pressed but they will pay me in due course,” says a middle-aged chap. “For my sake, I hope you won’t put my name and face in your paper.”
Your request has been honoured, sir.
Others simply enjoy the thrill of waiting for a result on their bet. They don’t place much money on any stake, and they are not really bothered whether they win or lose.
A Constable Makoni says betting is a recreational activity.
“I just do this for fun but, of course, with the hope of winning big one day. I’m a regular member of the ZRP. Sometimes I win but in most cases mahwani. The highest amount that I have won to date is US$300 but I have in my betting life used close to US$1 200,” says the cop as places his bet along Rezende Street in the capital.
You win some…
For Mabvuku-based Sekuru Tofa Munesu, horse races are a part of his life. The 72-year-old says he developed an interest in horse races in his early 20s and the love affair has only grown.
“I sent my kids to school with proceeds from what started as a hobby. I’m a frequent figure in the Mashonaland Turf Club premises. I have been betting on horses for more than 45 years. My children have tried to persuade me to stop since they are now well-off and can take care of me but I cannot. I enjoy this,” declares Sekuru Munesu.
“I am now a veteran with horse races. I will leave those other forms of betting to the younger generations. It is what they understand and just like me they will become experts in the long run. I have never hit a jackpot but my regular small amount wins have kept me going over the years.” Never mind that small wagers can be placed on sports betting. The reality of the game is that the more you risk, the more you can win.
Which is why some betting shops now have VIP sections for the high-rollers. These are fairly plush settings occupied by punters who come driving SUVs and the finest luxury sedans.
It is not unheard of that a bet of tens of thousands of US dollars is placed on a single soccer match.Last year, a pair teamed up and placed US$40 000 at a shop in Harare for a FC Napoli win. They won almost as much when Lady Luck smiled on them.
Around that same time, an unfortunate chump lost US$30 000 after wrongly predicting the outcome of a match between FC Bayern Munich against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
Sports betting is big in other parts of Africa.In Nigeria, reports indicate that about 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 spend close to US$10 million on sports betting daily on average wagers of US$15 daily.
