There is an interesting history to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just over the border from next door Thailand, where casino betting is banned. Eight casinos are established in a generally small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect area, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The astonishing capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million, and there are a couple of controls constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; still, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are allegedly needed to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is real of many borders.
The first Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored ship casino, features 150 slot machines and 60 tables. The Naga river boat is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of 21, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty slot machines and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machines and seventy gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and ninety six table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and 66 of the common tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel complex that highlights many amenities on top of the casino, which houses 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and 88 table games.