There is a captivating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the border from next door Thailand, in which gambling hall betting is prohibited. Eight casinos are anchored in a generally small space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect spot, a three to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest gambling centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai laborers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The amazing capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of limitations requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mainly Thai; although, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are means around this, as is real of many border crossings.
The initial Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge casino, features 150 slots and sixty tables. The Naga gambling den is open all day and night with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of 21, 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 soon followed. A total of one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machine games and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slots and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and sixty six of the familiar 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 motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a comprehensive vacation and hotel complex that highlights many conveniences aside from the gambling hall, which houses 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and eighty eight gaming tables.