There is a captivating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the dividing line from next door Thailand, where gambling hall gaming is against the law. Eight gambling halls are established in a relatively tiny space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a prime area, a 3 to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai laborers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The amazing income accrued from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of limitations constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mainly Thai; although, investment sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 1700, and even though visas are for all intents and purposes required to cross, there are means around this, as is real of most border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary bateau gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 gaming tables. The Naga gambling hall is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. A total of 150 slot machines and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slots and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and sixty six of the normal table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slots and 97 table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive vacation and hotel building that features many comforts accompanying the gambling den, which contains ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 table games.