[ English ]

There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just across the border from nearby Thailand, in which gambling hall wagering is prohibited. Eight gambling dens are situated in a generally small location in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect location, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest gaming locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of limitations constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; still, funding sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are methods and means around this, as is real of most border crossings.

The 1st Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored boat gambling hall, highlights one hundred and fifty slots and sixty gaming tables. The Naga casino is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of blackjack, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of 150 slots and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machines and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and sixty six of the familiar gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational vacation and hotel building that features many comforts in addition to the gambling den, which contains ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and eighty eight tables.