There is an appealing story to the Cambodia casinos that lie just across the border from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall gaming is not allowed. Eight casinos are anchored in a generally small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in a prime area, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The amazing capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of controls requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; however, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and even though visas are allegedly necessary to cross, there are means around this, as is real of many borders.
The original Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge casino, features 150 slot machines and sixty gaming tables. The Naga casino is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of twenty-one, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of 150 slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machine games and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slots and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (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 normal gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel building that highlights many comforts aside from the gambling den, which has ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 gaming tables.