There is an appealing story to the Cambodia casinos that sit just across the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where gambling den betting is against the law. Eight gambling halls are based in a relatively tiny area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent location, a 3 to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The astonishing capital accrued from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few limitations constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; still, investment sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are apparently required to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is correct of many borders.
The first Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored barge gambling hall, features one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 60 table games. The Naga river boat is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of twenty-one, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and sixty six of the common gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 casinos in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a comprehensive vacation and hotel building that features a number of amenities on top of the casino, which houses ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machines and 88 tables.