There is a captivating history to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just across the dividing line from nearby Thailand, where gambling hall gaming is prohibited. Eight casinos are situated in a relatively small space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in a prime location, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a thriving business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The amazing income gained from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a couple of restrictions constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; however, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 17:00, and even though visas are for all intents and purposes needed to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored boat casino, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. There are one hundred and fifty slot machines and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machines and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the common table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-around vacation and hotel building that features a number of luxuries aside from the gambling den, which houses ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty slots and 88 tables.