[ English ]

There is an interesting history to the Cambodia casinos that reside just over the border from nearby Thailand, in which gambling hall wagering is banned. Eight gambling dens are established in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect spot, a 3 to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The astonishing income acquired from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be largely Thai; however, financing sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 5:00 p.m., and even though visas are for all intents and purposes required to pass, there are methods around this, as is real of most border crossings.

The first Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked bateau gambling hall, highlights one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 60 gaming tables. The Naga casino is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of twenty-one, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The 1st gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slot machine games and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slot machines and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 gaming tables, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machines and 66 of the familiar gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the 8 casinos in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of a comprehensive vacation and hotel complex that highlights a number of luxuries on top of the casino, which houses ten thousand square feet of 130 slot machines and eighty eight tables.