There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just across the border from neighboring Thailand, where casino wagering is not allowed. Eight gambling dens are established in a generally tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a prime area, a 3 to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The astonishing capital acquired from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; although, financial sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 0900 to 1700, and even though visas are supposedly needed to pass, there are means around this, as is true of many borders.
The original Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary boat gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 tables. The Naga gambling den never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown before long followed. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slots and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat banque (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and 66 of the normal gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a comprehensive resort and hotel compound that contains numerous conveniences aside from the gambling den, which has ten thousand square feet of 130 one armed bandits and eighty eight gaming tables.