The Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Board used the 65th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which just ended, to promote a more sustainable gaming industry and stress the value of responsible gaming.
Taking place under the topic “Industrialization: Crafting an Integrated Economic Landscape,” the exhibition provided a platform for many industries seeking to connect their operations with the objectives of national development. That included promoting discussions on player protection and ecosystem lifespan for the gaming board and lottery.
“The Lotteries and Gaming Board requires all those that patronize us to ensure that they exercise restraint,” said Dr. Misheck Chingozha, the board’s interim secretary. “Their passion should not override their reasoning to the extent that they shouldn’t know when to stop or walk away. All those that do it should do it for fun. We encourage our punters to not go into any betting house with an amount they cannot afford to lose.”
The message was straightforward: gaming is not meant to be a daily hustle or a means of financial escape. It’s amusement. The board wants players to think like that.
However, Dr. Chingozha also highlighted the wider role that gaming has in national development, which goes beyond the player side. The money doesn’t vanish into thin air even when gamblers lose. He pointed out that license fees and regulated payments are how the industry contributes to government revenues. A portion of money is set aside for charitable endeavors, such as projects that support social welfare, health, and education activities.
