There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the border from nearby Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is illegal. Eight casinos are anchored in a relatively small location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent spot, a three to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular betting centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The amazing capital acquired from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; although, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 1700, and despite the fact visas are apparently needed to cross, there are ways around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens premiered 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 moored bateau gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and sixty table games. The Naga gambling hall is open all day and night with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of twenty-one, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of 150 slot machines and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machines and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred one armed bandits and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and sixty six of the common tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 casinos in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slots and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international resort and hotel compound that contains many conveniences accompanying the casino, which provides ten thousand square feet of 130 slots and 88 table games.
