There is an appealing story to the Cambodia casinos that reside just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, where gambling hall betting is not legal. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively small area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect location, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal capital gained from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few controls requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; however, investment sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are supposedly needed to pass, there are methods around this, as is accurate of many border crossings.
The first Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving just 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored ship gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 gaming tables. The Naga gambling den is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of chemin de fer, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are one hundred and fifty slots and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machine games and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slots and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat banque (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive resort and hotel compound that highlights many luxuries accompanying the casino, which offers 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 table games.
