There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where casino wagering is not permitted. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a generally small space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest betting centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of controls constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; although, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are formally open from 0900 to 1700, and even though visas are allegedly necessary to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The 1st Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored barge casino, highlights 150 one armed bandits and sixty gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The first gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are 150 slot machine games and five tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines 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 87 baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and 66 of the familiar gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 97 table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive vacation and hotel complex that features numerous amenities accompanying the casino, which has 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 gaming tables.

