There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just over the border from next door Thailand, in which gambling hall gaming is banned. Eight gambling dens are based in a relatively small area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect area, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest gambling centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income gained from the gambling halls ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of controls requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; although, financing sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 0900 to 17:00, and though visas are apparently required to pass, there are ways around this, as is correct of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored barge gambling hall, contains one hundred and fifty slots and sixty table games. The Naga gambling hall is open all day and night with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of 21, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are 150 slots and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (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 sixty six of the normal tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel building that features many luxuries aside from the gambling den, which provides ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 table games.