There is an interesting story to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall betting is not permitted. Eight gambling dens are situated in a generally tiny area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent destination, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the casinos ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, financing sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 1700, and although visas are supposedly required to cross, there are methods around this, as is real of many borders.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored ship gambling den, contains 150 slots and 60 gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat banque (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and sixty six of the normal gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around vacation and hotel compound that highlights a number of comforts accompanying the casino, which provides ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 tables.