There is an appealing story to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just over the border from nearby Thailand, in which casino wagering is illegal. Eight gambling dens are based in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling dens is in a prime location, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of limitations constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; although, funding sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 0900 to 17:00, and although visas are supposedly required to pass, there are means around this, as is correct of many borders.
The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored barge gambling den, features one hundred and fifty slots and 60 tables. The Naga gambling hall is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of 21, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machine games and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 one armed bandits and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety six table games, including 87 punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the familiar tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational vacation and hotel building that features numerous conveniences accompanying the gambling den, which contains 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slots and eighty eight gaming tables.
