There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just across the border from next door Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is not allowed. Eight casinos are situated in a relatively tiny area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a prime location, a 3 to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The amazing income gained from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few restrictions constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be largely Thai; still, financing sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are ways around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The original Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge casino, contains 150 slots and 60 table games. The Naga casino never closes with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 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 one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machine games and 66 of the normal gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive vacation and hotel complex that highlights numerous conveniences aside from the casino, which houses 10,000 square feet of 130 one armed bandits and 88 table games.