There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the border from nearby Thailand, where gambling hall betting is prohibited. Eight gambling halls are established in a generally tiny space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent area, a three to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income acquired from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; however, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are formally open from 0900 to 17:00, and even though visas are apparently required to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored bateau gambling den, features 150 slots and sixty gaming tables. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of 21, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are one hundred and fifty slot machines and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machine games and 66 of the normal gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an international resort and hotel compound that contains numerous conveniences on top of the gambling den, which has 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machines and 88 tables.
