There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just across the border from nearby Thailand, where gambling hall wagering is not permitted. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a generally tiny area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent destination, a 3 to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be largely Thai; however, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 1700, and although visas are for all intents and purposes needed to pass, there are means around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The first Cambodia gambling dens premiered 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 docked ship gambling den, contains one hundred and fifty slots and 60 table games. The Naga river boat never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of twenty-one, 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 soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machines and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slots and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and 66 of the familiar table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight casinos in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel compound that features a number of amenities on top of the gambling den, which contains 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machines and 88 gaming tables.