Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is an appealing history to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the dividing line from next door Thailand, in which casino gambling is prohibited. Eight casinos are anchored in a generally tiny location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling halls is in a prime location, a 3 to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai blue-collar workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The amazing income acquired from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 1700, and despite the fact visas are allegedly needed to cross, there are means around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The initial Cambodia gambling halls 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, an anchored boat gambling den, features 150 slot machines and sixty table games. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of 21, 10 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 soon opened. There are one hundred and fifty slot machines and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machines and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and ninety six table games, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and 66 of the familiar gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational vacation and hotel compound that highlights numerous comforts on top of the gambling hall, which offers 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slots and 88 gaming tables.