There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just across the border from next door Thailand, where casino betting is not allowed. Eight gambling halls are situated in a generally tiny location in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The amazing capital acquired from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; still, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are apparently required to cross, there are methods around this, as is correct of many borders.
The initial Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only 1 gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship casino, features 150 slot machines and 60 gaming tables. The Naga river boat is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, 4 tables of 21, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown before long followed. A total of 150 one armed bandits and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slot machines and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the common table games, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight casinos in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive vacation and hotel complex that highlights a number of amenities accompanying the casino, which provides 10,000 square feet of 130 slot machine games and eighty eight gaming tables.