There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just across the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where gambling hall gaming is against the law. Eight gambling dens are situated in a relatively small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect destination, a three to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a few controls constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; however, financing sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are allegedly needed to cross, there are means around this, as is real of many borders.
The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge casino, highlights 150 slots and 60 tables. The Naga river boat is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of blackjack, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slot machines and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and sixty six of the normal table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 casinos in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive resort and hotel complex that contains many amenities accompanying the casino, which houses 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 tables.