Cambodia Casinos
There is a captivating background to the Cambodia casinos that sit just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where gambling hall wagering is against the law. Eight casinos are anchored in a generally small area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a prime location, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gaming locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The astonishing income acquired from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mainly Thai; although, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are supposedly necessary to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most border crossings.
The initial Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary ship gambling den, contains 150 slot machines and 60 tables. The Naga river boat is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of vingt-et-un, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are one hundred and fifty slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slots and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machines and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and 66 of the common table games, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and 97 table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an international resort and hotel building that highlights many conveniences aside from the gambling hall, which contains ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and 88 gaming tables.