There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia casinos that sit just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, where casino betting is not allowed. Eight gambling dens are situated in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent area, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few restrictions requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is presumed to be largely Thai; still, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 1700, and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of many borders.
The 1st Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge casino, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 gaming tables. The Naga gambling den never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 tables of chemin de fer, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machine games and seventy gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machines and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (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 familiar tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight casinos in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive vacation and hotel complex that highlights numerous amenities in addition to the gambling hall, which offers ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and 88 gaming tables.