Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is a fascinating background to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, where gambling hall betting is banned. Eight gambling halls are based in a generally tiny location in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a perfect location, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai laborers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The astonishing capital gained from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of controls constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; however, investment sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and although visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are ways around this, as is true of many border crossings.
The initial Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored ship casino, contains one hundred and fifty slot machine games and sixty table games. The Naga river boat is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 tables of 21, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The original casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon followed. A total of one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slots and 68 table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machine games and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat banque (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and 66 of the common gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 casinos in Poipet, again 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 a multinational vacation and hotel complex that contains many luxuries in addition to the gambling hall, which provides 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machine games and eighty eight gaming tables.