There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia casinos that sit just over the border from nearby Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is illegal. Eight gambling dens are anchored in a generally small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a thriving business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The amazing capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a few controls constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00, and although visas are supposedly required to pass, there are ways around this, as is accurate of many borders.
The 1st Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship gambling hall, features one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 tables. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown before long opened. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slots and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and 66 of the normal tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight casinos in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around vacation and hotel complex that contains a number of comforts aside from the gambling hall, which has ten thousand sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slots and 88 tables.