[ English ]

There is a captivating story to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall betting is not legal. Eight gambling dens are established in a generally small area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent area, a 3 to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The amazing income accrued from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few limitations requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; however, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are supposedly necessary to pass, there are methods around this, as is accurate of most borders.

The original Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge gambling hall, highlights 150 slot machines and sixty gaming tables. The Naga river boat is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of twenty-one, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are 150 one armed bandits and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slot machines and seventy gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and ninety six gaming tables, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and 66 of the normal tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, also a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machine games and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international resort and hotel compound that features many luxuries on top of the casino, which houses 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and eighty eight tables.