There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just across the border from next door Thailand, where gambling den wagering is not allowed. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a relatively small space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect destination, a 3 to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai laborers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The amazing income gained from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a couple of limitations constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; although, financing sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 0900 to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are means around this, as is true of many borders.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving only one casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored bateau gambling hall, features one hundred and fifty slots and sixty tables. The Naga gambling den is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of twenty-one, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty slot machine games and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 one armed bandits and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a motel, 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 complex that features numerous comforts in addition to the gambling hall, which provides 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty slots and eighty eight table games.