There is a captivating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just across the dividing line from nearby Thailand, in which gambling hall betting is prohibited. Eight gambling halls are established in a relatively small space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the casinos ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few restrictions constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; although, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 0900 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The first Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving just one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary ship gambling hall, highlights 150 one armed bandits and 60 table games. The Naga gambling den never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of twenty-one, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slots and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machines and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (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 66 of the common tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational resort and hotel complex that features many amenities on top of the casino, which houses ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and eighty eight table games.