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There is an interesting background to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just across the border from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall wagering is not allowed. Eight casinos are situated in a relatively tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia casinos is in a prime destination, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 largest wagering locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The phenomenal income acquired from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a number of controls requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; however, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 17:00, and despite the fact visas are apparently required to cross, there are ways around this, as is real of many borders.

The first Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving just a single gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, an anchored barge gambling hall, features 150 slot machine games and 60 tables. The Naga river boat is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The first gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. A total of 150 one armed bandits and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four one armed bandits and sixty eight tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains three hundred slot machines and seventy gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slots and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven baccarat chemin de fer (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five one armed bandits and sixty six of the common gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. One more of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a comprehensive resort and hotel complex that contains many conveniences accompanying the gambling hall, which contains 10,000 square feet of 130 slot machines and 88 tables.