There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just across the dividing line from nearby Thailand, in which casino betting is not allowed. Eight casinos are situated in a generally small space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia casinos is in a prime location, a 3 to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gaming locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The astonishing income accrued from the casinos ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million, and there are a few controls requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; still, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 17:00, and although visas are apparently necessary to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is real of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving just 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored bateau gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 table games. The Naga gambling hall is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are one hundred and fifty slot machine games and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machines and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slot machine games and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and ninety six gaming tables, including 87 punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and 66 of the common gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around vacation and hotel building that contains many conveniences in addition to the casino, which offers 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 tables.