[ English ]

There is an appealing story to the Cambodia casinos that reside just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, where gambling den wagering is not legal. Eight gambling halls are anchored in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia casinos is in a prime area, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular betting locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal capital acquired from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of limitations constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mainly Thai; however, financing sources are vague. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are apparently required to cross, there are methods around this, as is correct of many border crossings.

The initial Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only one gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored ship casino, features one hundred and fifty slot machine games and sixty tables. The Naga casino is open 24 hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of twenty-one, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The original casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machine games and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred one armed bandits and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machines and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and 66 of the familiar tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a multinational vacation and hotel building that features many comforts accompanying the gambling hall, which contains ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty slots and 88 tables.