Sports betting has become a powerful movement nationwide in Zimbabwe, with an increasing number of bettors.
In various betting stations emerging in towns, people of all ages, both men and women, are trying their luck.
It seems to have become a highly profitable business.
Gambling, once merely a pastime, has now become a common force, integrating into the daily lives of both employed and unemployed individuals.
People can place bets on anything, from football to dogs, horses, basketball, and cricket.
Football has proven to be the most popular, and the stakes have risen since the local super league was introduced into the betting menu.
However, the long tradition of horse racing remains strong.
However, slot machines, cards, dice, and roulette seem to have lost their appeal among gamblers, possibly due to higher betting costs.
William Gonese, a 28-year-old shift manager at Baker's Inn, recently became one of the victims of this growing trend.
He was not only attracted by "kandege" (a local name for Spribe's "Aviator" online multiplayer gambling game), but also by the greater promise of overnight wealth, quietly promised by each betting platform.
"Your Honor, my intention was not to steal, but to win more money," he admitted in front of Harare magistrate Lynne Chinzou.
"I started betting $350, and as I kept trying my luck, I eventually spent all $3420.
Gonese not only lost his job due to gambling but was also sentenced to 10 months in prison for this crime.
His narrative, mixed with missed hopes and economic despair, echoes the whispered stories from every corner of the betting stations.
A few weeks ago, a Harare man found himself in trouble after losing his brother's money in a bet on an Aviators game.
The man collapsed inside a popular betting station after suffering a heavy loss. Witnesses said the man was entrusted with the money to buy stock for his brother's grocery store.
However, he chose to gamble in hopes of doubling the money. When the bet failed, the severity of the loss was unbearable for him.
