There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is not legal. Eight casinos are anchored in a relatively small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in a prime location, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of limitations requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be largely Thai; still, investment sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and even though visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are means around this, as is correct of most borders.
The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked boat gambling den, contains 150 one armed bandits and 60 gaming tables. The Naga gambling hall is open 24 hours with 42 tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of chemin de fer, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 one armed bandits and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and 66 of the common tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a multinational vacation and hotel building that highlights numerous comforts aside from the casino, which contains 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty slot machines and 88 table games.