There is an appealing history to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just across the border from next door Thailand, where casino betting is illegal. Eight casinos are based in a relatively tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect area, a 3 to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest betting locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are allegedly required to cross, there are methods around this, as is correct of most borders.
The first Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored bateau casino, contains one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and sixty table games. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. A total of one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slots and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and 66 of the normal gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight casinos in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive resort and hotel complex that highlights many conveniences on top of the gambling hall, which has 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and eighty eight tables.