There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia casinos that sit just across the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, in which casino wagering is prohibited. Eight gambling dens are established in a generally tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect destination, a 3 to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gaming locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a few limitations constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; still, investment sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 17:00, and although visas are supposedly necessary to pass, there are methods around this, as is accurate of most borders.
The first Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just 1 gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored ship casino, contains one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and sixty tables. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machine games and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 casinos in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slots and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-around resort and hotel compound that contains a number of comforts on top of the gambling den, which offers ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slots and eighty eight gaming tables.