There is an appealing history to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just over the dividing line from next door Thailand, where gambling hall gaming is illegal. Eight casinos are situated in a generally small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect location, a three to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few limitations requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are methods around this, as is correct of most border crossings.
The first 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 docked ship gambling den, highlights 150 slots and 60 gaming tables. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of chemin de fer, ten 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, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown before long opened. There are 150 slot machines and five 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 slot machines and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and 66 of the common tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the eight casinos in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international resort and hotel compound that features a number of conveniences on top of the gambling hall, which houses 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and eighty eight gaming tables.