There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the dividing line from next door Thailand, where gambling hall betting is banned. Eight gambling halls are established in a generally tiny area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a prime destination, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The amazing income accrued from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of limitations requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; still, financial sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 1700, and although visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are methods around this, as is accurate of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored ship gambling den, contains 150 slot machines and sixty table games. The Naga gambling hall is open all day and night with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of chemin de fer, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are 150 slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machine games and sixty eight tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machines and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and sixty six of the common gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight casinos in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machine games and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive resort and hotel complex that highlights numerous conveniences aside from the gambling hall, which contains 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 tables.