Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is an interesting history to the Cambodia casinos that lie just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, in which gambling den gaming is against the law. Eight gambling dens are based in a relatively tiny space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect destination, a 3 to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest gaming locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai laborers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The astonishing income gained from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a few limitations constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; however, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 1700, and even though visas are supposedly necessary to pass, there are ways around this, as is real of most border crossings.
The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving just a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary barge casino, highlights one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and sixty table games. The Naga river boat is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of 21, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are 150 slots and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machine games and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machine games and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and sixty six of the common tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the eight casinos in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and 97 table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international vacation and hotel complex that features numerous amenities aside from the casino, which has 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and 88 tables.