There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is against the law. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a generally tiny area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a 3 to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal income acquired from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; however, investment sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 0900 to 1700, and though visas are for all intents and purposes required to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is accurate of most borders.
The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only one gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary ship casino, features 150 slot machine games and sixty table games. The Naga gambling den never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slot machines and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and ninety six table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and sixty six of the familiar gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-around vacation and hotel building that highlights numerous amenities accompanying the casino, which provides 10,000 square feet of 130 slots and 88 tables.