Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where casino wagering is against the law. Eight gambling halls are established in a generally tiny area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest gambling centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income acquired from the casinos ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mainly Thai; although, investment sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 17:00, and even though visas are apparently needed to cross, there are means around this, as is real of most border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only a single gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored ship gambling hall, highlights 150 slots and 60 table games. The Naga gambling den never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, four tables of 21, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are 150 slot machine games and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 one armed bandits and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the familiar table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machine games and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a comprehensive resort and hotel complex that highlights many comforts in addition to the casino, which offers ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty slots and 88 gaming tables.