Cambodia Gambling Dens
There is a captivating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just across the border from nearby Thailand, where casino betting is not legal. Eight casinos are based in a generally tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a prime destination, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The amazing capital gained from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few restrictions constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be largely Thai; although, financial sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 17:00, and although visas are supposedly needed to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is true of most borders.
The first Cambodia gambling dens 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, features one hundred and fifty slot machines and sixty table games. The Naga gambling hall is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 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 original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown before long followed. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features three hundred slot machine games and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 table games, including 87 punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machine games and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an international vacation and hotel compound that highlights many amenities on top of the gambling den, which has 10,000 square feet of 130 one armed bandits and 88 gaming tables.