Cambodia Casinos
There is a fascinating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is not legal. Eight gambling dens are established in a relatively tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent destination, a three to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a thriving business with Thai laborers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The amazing income acquired from the gambling dens ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 1700, and although visas are for all intents and purposes required to pass, there are methods around this, as is real of most borders.
The original Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored bateau gambling hall, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 tables. The Naga casino is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of twenty-one, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. A total of 150 slots and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machine games and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat banque (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive vacation and hotel compound that contains numerous comforts in addition to the gambling den, which provides 10,000 square feet of 130 slots and eighty eight gaming tables.