There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, in which gambling den gaming is not legal. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a relatively small location in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The amazing income gained from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of controls constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; still, funding sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and even though visas are apparently necessary to pass, there are means around this, as is correct of many border crossings.
The initial Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored ship gambling den, highlights 150 one armed bandits and 60 table games. The Naga gambling den never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of 150 slot machines and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machines and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slots and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six table games, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and sixty six of the common gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a comprehensive vacation and hotel complex that contains numerous comforts aside from the gambling den, which contains 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machines and 88 table games.
