There is an appealing history to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just over the border from nearby Thailand, where gambling hall wagering is not allowed. Eight casinos are established in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect area, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai laborers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The astonishing income gained from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of restrictions constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; still, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 1700, and although visas are allegedly required to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is real of many border crossings.
The first Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary bateau gambling hall, highlights 150 slot machine games and sixty gaming tables. The Naga gambling hall never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of blackjack, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of 150 slot machine games and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machine games and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the normal gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 casinos in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slots and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-around vacation and hotel complex that highlights numerous amenities in addition to the casino, which offers ten thousand sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slot machines and eighty eight table games.