There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just across the border from nearby Thailand, in which casino gaming is against the law. Eight gambling halls are based in a relatively tiny location in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent location, a 3 to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest gaming locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The astonishing capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million, and there are a couple of limitations requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; although, funding sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 1700, and despite the fact visas are apparently necessary to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is correct of most border crossings.
The original Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored boat gambling hall, features 150 one armed bandits and 60 table games. The Naga casino never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machines and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machines and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slots and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat banque (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 66 of the familiar table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around resort and hotel building that highlights a number of amenities accompanying the gambling hall, which provides ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slots and 88 gaming tables.