Cambodia Gambling Dens
There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, in which casino betting is illegal. Eight casinos are situated in a generally small location in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a 3 to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a thriving business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The astonishing capital gained from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a few limitations requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 17:00, and although visas are apparently required to pass, there are methods around this, as is real of many border crossings.
The initial Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored bateau gambling hall, highlights 150 one armed bandits and sixty table games. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of vingt-et-un, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. A total of one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machine games and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and 96 table games, including 87 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 66 of the familiar gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-inclusive resort and hotel building that contains many conveniences in addition to the casino, which offers 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and 88 tables.