There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just across the border from next door Thailand, where casino gaming is illegal. Eight casinos are based in a relatively small area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent spot, a 3 to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million, and there are a few controls requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; although, funding sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The first Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just one casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored barge gambling hall, highlights 150 slot machines and sixty table games. The Naga river boat never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of chemin de fer, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown before long followed. A total of 150 slot machine games and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety six gaming tables, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and 66 of the common tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machine games and 97 table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational resort and hotel complex that contains many comforts in addition to the casino, which contains 10,000 square feet of 130 slots and eighty eight gaming tables.