Playing the odds: The rise of soccer betting houses as a livelihood option in Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Betting and gambling have a long history in Zimbabwe. In the past lottery, horse racing and at times dog racing were an integral part of betting culture, especially among the employed and unemployed poor working classes. The socio-economic impacts of the crises that gripped Zimbabwe post 2000 has led to an increasing number of people turning to soccer betting as a livelihood activity. This paper focuses on an emerging and growing phenomenon of soccer-betting houses in urban Zimbabwe with a specific focus on Harare. The paper is based on participant observation of a soccer-betting house located just outside a high-density suburb in the city. The paper outlines the motivations, patterns and experiences with betting and whether supporting a particular club in Europe influences the way people bet. It also highlights the gendered dimensions of soccer-betting spaces and how soccer-betting houses are in many ways entrenching European football fandoms in Zimbabwe.

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