There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, where casino wagering is against the law. Eight gambling dens are situated in a relatively small location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect location, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The astonishing income acquired from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a number of restrictions constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; however, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 0900 to 17:00, and although visas are allegedly required to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most borders.
The initial Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship casino, contains one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 tables. The Naga gambling hall never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are 150 one armed bandits and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machine games and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 one armed bandits and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and sixty six of the common table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational resort and hotel compound that highlights a number of comforts in addition to the gambling hall, which contains ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty slot machines and eighty eight table games.
