There is a captivating background to the Cambodia casinos that sit just over the border from next door Thailand, in which casino wagering is illegal. Eight gambling dens are established in a relatively small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent area, a three to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gambling centers 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 capital gained from the casinos ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; although, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes required to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only 1 gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked bateau gambling hall, contains 150 slot machines and sixty tables. The Naga river boat is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of 21, 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, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. There are one hundred and fifty slot machines and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slots and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slots and ninety six table games, including 87 punto banco (the most dominant 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 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an international vacation and hotel complex that features many luxuries accompanying the casino, which provides ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and 88 tables.