Cambodia Casinos
There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just across the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall gaming is banned. Eight gambling halls are situated in a generally tiny location in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia casinos is in an excellent area, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal capital acquired from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; still, financing sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 09:00 to 17:00, and though visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are means around this, as is real of many borders.
The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only 1 gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored barge gambling hall, contains one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 tables. The Naga river boat never closes with 42 tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of twenty-one, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of one hundred and fifty slots and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 one armed bandits and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 table games, including eighty seven punto banco (the most beloved 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 gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the eight casinos in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive resort and hotel complex that highlights many luxuries on top of the gambling hall, which houses 10,000 square feet of 130 slot machine games and 88 tables.