There is an interesting story to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just over the border from nearby Thailand, where casino gaming is not permitted. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a relatively small space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent location, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering 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 few Westerners. The phenomenal income acquired from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a few limitations requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; although, financing sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are supposedly needed to pass, there are methods around this, as is correct of most borders.
The 1st Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving only a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored boat gambling den, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machines and sixty table games. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of 21, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon followed. There are 150 slot machines and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat banque (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and 66 of the normal table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slots and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational vacation and hotel compound that features a number of luxuries on top of the gambling den, which contains 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slots and 88 table games.