Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is an interesting history to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just over the border from next door Thailand, where casino gambling is against the law. Eight gambling halls are based in a relatively small space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent destination, a three to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two largest gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income gained from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of controls constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are ceremoniously open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are supposedly needed to cross, there are ways around this, as is true of most borders.
The first Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only 1 gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary barge gambling hall, contains one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 table games. The Naga river boat is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, 4 tables of twenty-one, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slots and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and sixty six of the normal gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel compound that features a number of amenities in addition to the casino, which provides 10,000 square feet of 130 one armed bandits and 88 table games.