There is an interesting history to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where gambling den gaming is not permitted. Eight gambling dens are anchored in a relatively tiny area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a prime area, a 3 to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The astonishing capital gained from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a number of controls constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; although, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are allegedly necessary to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is real of most border crossings.
The original Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving just 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary boat gambling den, features one hundred and fifty slot machine games and sixty table games. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of twenty-one, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are 150 one armed bandits and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and sixty eight tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred one armed bandits and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant 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 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive vacation and hotel compound that highlights a number of amenities in addition to the casino, which offers 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and 88 tables.