There is an interesting background to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just across the border from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling den gaming is against the law. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively tiny area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent location, a 3 to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The astonishing income accrued from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of controls constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; although, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are ceremoniously open from 09:00 to 17:00, and even though visas are allegedly necessary to cross, there are means around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only one casino 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 den never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of 21, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are 150 slots and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and seventy gaming 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 eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel building that features many conveniences on top of the gambling hall, which provides 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and eighty eight gaming tables.