There is a captivating background to the Cambodia casinos that lie just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, in which gambling den gambling is not allowed. Eight gambling dens are anchored in a relatively tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect spot, a 3 to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The amazing capital acquired from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of limitations requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be largely Thai; however, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are allegedly necessary to cross, there are means around this, as is accurate of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving just a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked bateau gambling den, contains 150 slots and sixty gaming tables. The Naga river boat is open all day and night with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of 21, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machines and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 one armed bandits and seventy 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 banque (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and sixty six of the familiar gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel complex that features numerous conveniences aside from the gambling hall, which contains 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and eighty eight tables.