[ English ]

There is an interesting story to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just across the border from nearby Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is not legal. Eight casinos are situated in a generally tiny location in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect area, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal capital acquired from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to over 12.5 million, and there are a few controls constraints for gambling den ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; still, funding sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 09:00 to 17:00, and though visas are supposedly necessary to pass, there are ways around this, as is true of many borders.

The first Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored bateau gambling hall, highlights one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 60 table games. The Naga gambling hall is open all day and night with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of chemin de fer, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. There are 150 slots and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights three hundred slot machine games and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and sixty six of the common tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-inclusive vacation and hotel building that features many luxuries in addition to the gambling hall, which contains 10,000 sq.ft. of 130 slot machines and 88 table games.