Zimbabwe Pushes Responsible Gambling Agenda at ZITF 

Iyke Bede 

At the recently concluded 65th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), the Zimbabwe Lotteries and Gaming Board used the platform to advocate for a more sustainable approach to gaming, emphasising the importance of responsible gambling practices.

Held under the theme ‘Industrialisation: Crafting an Integrated Economic Landscape’, the fair served as a meeting point for different sectors looking to align their operations with national development goals. For the lotteries and gaming board, that meant pushing conversations around player protection and ecosystem longevity.

“The lotteries and gaming board requires all those that patronise 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 clear: gaming is not supposed to be a financial escape plan or a daily hustle. It is entertainment. That is the mindset the board wants punters to adopt.

But beyond the player side, Dr. Chingozha also brought attention to gaming’s broader role in national development. Even when punters lose, the money doesn’t disappear into a black hole. He noted that the industry feeds into government revenue through licensing fees and regulated contributions. A portion of this is earmarked for good causes – initiatives that fund health, education, and social welfare programmes.

In that light, gaming is not just a personal experience. It is a national resource. However, that only holds if the ecosystem remains healthy and fair. This is why the board’s stance on responsible play is not just a public health issue. It is a sustainability strategy.