There is an interesting background to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, where casino gambling is not allowed. Eight gambling dens are situated in a relatively tiny space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect location, a 3 to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; however, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are supposedly necessary to pass, there are means around this, as is accurate of many border crossings.
The first Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving just a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary ship gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slot machine games and sixty gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machines and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six gaming tables, including 87 punto banco (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and 66 of the common table games, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 casinos in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a multinational vacation and hotel complex that highlights a number of luxuries aside from the casino, which provides 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slots and 88 tables.
