There is a captivating background to the Cambodia casinos that reside just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, where gambling den gaming is not permitted. Eight gambling halls are based in a generally tiny space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent area, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the gambling halls 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 gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; although, financial sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are for all intents and purposes needed to cross, there are means around this, as is correct of many border crossings.
The first Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only 1 gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary bateau gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 gaming tables. The Naga casino is open 24 hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and 66 of the familiar table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 casinos in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive vacation and hotel compound that contains many amenities aside from the gambling hall, which offers 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machines and 88 tables.