There is an interesting history to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, where gambling den gaming is against the law. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively small area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia casinos is in a prime area, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai laborers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The astonishing income accrued from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes needed to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The first Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge gambling den, contains 150 slots and 60 gaming tables. The Naga gambling den is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machine games and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and 66 of the familiar table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slots and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-around vacation and hotel building that features a number of amenities in addition to the casino, which provides 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and 88 tables.