Cambodia Gambling Halls
There is an appealing story to the Cambodia casinos that lie just across the border from neighboring Thailand, where casino betting is not allowed. Eight gambling halls are based in a generally small area in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This band of Cambodia gambling halls is in a prime destination, a three to 4 hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling dens do a huge business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income gained from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million, and there are a few restrictions constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; although, funding sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00, and though visas are allegedly needed to pass, there are means around this, as is accurate of many borders.
The original Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked bateau gambling hall, features one hundred and fifty slots and 60 gaming tables. The Naga river boat never closes with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.
The 1st gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machines and five tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 one armed bandits and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety six table games, including eighty seven punto banco (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slots and 66 of the common gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slots and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international resort and hotel compound that highlights numerous amenities aside from the casino, which houses ten thousand square feet of 130 slot machine games and 88 gaming tables.