Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is an interesting story to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the border from neighboring Thailand, where casino wagering is not permitted. Eight gambling dens are established in a relatively small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect location, a 3 to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The amazing capital gained from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few controls requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; although, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are for all intents and purposes needed to cross, there are means around this, as is real of most borders.
The 1st Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored bateau casino, highlights 150 slot machine games and sixty tables. The Naga casino is open all day and night with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of 21, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The initial gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slots and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machine games and sixty six of the normal gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational resort and hotel compound that highlights numerous luxuries aside from the gambling hall, which contains 10,000 square feet of 130 slots and 88 tables.