There is an interesting history to the Cambodia casinos that lie just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, in which gambling hall gambling is prohibited. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect destination, a three to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few limitations requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; although, funding sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are supposedly necessary to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most borders.
The first Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored barge gambling hall, features one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and sixty gaming tables. The Naga gambling den is open 24 hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 tables of 21, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and sixty eight tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slots and seventy gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machines and ninety six gaming tables, including 87 punto banco (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and sixty six of the normal table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and 97 table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive resort and hotel complex that features numerous luxuries in addition to the gambling den, which provides 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 tables.
