Archive for January 19th, 2016

Cambodia Casinos

[ English ]

There is a fascinating story to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just over the dividing line from neighboring Thailand, where gambling den gaming is prohibited. Eight gambling halls are based in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent location, a three to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two most popular betting locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The astonishing income accrued from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a few restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is presumed to be mostly Thai; although, funding sources are ambiguous. The borders are formally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and even though visas are apparently required to cross, there are methods around this, as is true of most borders.

The 1st Cambodia casinos premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked barge gambling hall, features one hundred and fifty slot machines and sixty tables. The Naga gambling den is open 24 hours with forty two tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of blackjack, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The original gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight table games at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and 70 table games and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machine games and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the common table games, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again in a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and ninety seven casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an international resort and hotel compound that contains many conveniences on top of the casino, which houses 10,000 square feet of 130 slot machines and 88 tables.