[ English ]

There is an interesting story to the Cambodia gambling halls that sit just over the border from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall wagering is prohibited. Eight gambling halls are established in a relatively small area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect spot, a 3 to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai laborers 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 over 12.5 million, and there are a few limitations requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be mainly Thai; although, investment sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes necessary to cross, there are methods and means around this, as is true of many border crossings.

The initial Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary boat gambling den, features one hundred and fifty slots and sixty table games. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, four tables of 21, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The original gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slots and seventy table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat banque (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and 66 of the familiar gaming tables, as well as 1 table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight casinos in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machine games and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a multinational resort and hotel building that features many comforts on top of the gambling den, which offers 10,000 sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 tables.