There is a captivating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just across the dividing line from nearby Thailand, where casino wagering is not allowed. Eight casinos are situated in a generally small space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect area, a 3 to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of controls constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is required to be largely Thai; although, funding sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 9:00 a.m. to 1700, and although visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are ways around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The original Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship gambling den, highlights 150 slot machines and sixty gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of chemin de fer, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slots and ninety six table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around resort and hotel compound that contains many comforts aside from the gambling den, which has 10,000 square feet of 130 slot machine games and eighty eight table games.