Cambodia Gambling Dens
There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just across the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall wagering is against the law. Eight gambling dens are based in a generally tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent area, a 3 to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The amazing income gained from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few controls requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; although, funding sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 1700, and although visas are apparently needed to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most borders.
The original Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving only a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship casino, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machine games and sixty tables. The Naga casino never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of blackjack, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of 150 slot machine games and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machines and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machine games and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and sixty six of the normal table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, again in 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 all-around resort and hotel complex that highlights numerous comforts in addition to the gambling den, which houses 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slots and 88 tables.