[ English ]

There is a captivating background to the Cambodia casinos that reside just over the dividing line from next door Thailand, where casino gambling is banned. Eight casinos are based in a generally small area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia casinos is in a prime spot, a three to four hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income gained from the gambling halls ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of controls requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; still, financial sources are vague. The borders are ceremoniously open from 0900 to 1700, and despite the fact visas are apparently required to cross, there are means around this, as is correct of many borders.

The first Cambodia casinos opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving just a single casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked bateau gambling den, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machines and sixty table games. The Naga river boat is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown quickly opened. A total of 150 slot machine games and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slot machine games and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slot machine games and sixty six of the normal table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling halls in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machine games and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around resort and hotel building that features a number of comforts in addition to the gambling hall, which houses ten thousand sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slot machines and 88 tables.