There is a captivating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just across the border from neighboring Thailand, where gambling den gaming is not legal. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect location, a three to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls 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 amazing income acquired from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; although, financial sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 17:00, and even though visas are allegedly required to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The first 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 bateau gambling den, highlights one hundred and fifty slots and 60 gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machines and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred one armed bandits and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and sixty six of the familiar gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an international resort and hotel compound that contains a number of luxuries on top of the casino, which provides 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 table games.