There is an appealing background to the Cambodia gambling dens that sit just across the border from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling hall gambling is against the law. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively small space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent area, a three to 4 hour travel from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a couple of Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million, and there are a couple of restrictions requirements for gambling den ownership. Ownership is assumed to be largely Thai; although, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 09:00 to 17:00, and though visas are allegedly needed to cross, there are methods around this, as is true of most border crossings.

The first Cambodia gambling halls premiered in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in the late nineties, leaving only one casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary bateau gambling hall, contains one hundred and fifty slot machines and 60 table games. The Naga gambling hall is open all hours with 42 tables of mini-punto banco, four tables of 21, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The original casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly followed. There are 150 slot machine games and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 slots and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort highlights 300 slots and seventy 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 87 baccarat (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and 66 of the familiar table games, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, also a part of a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and 97 games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an international resort and hotel complex that contains numerous amenities aside from the gambling den, which houses ten thousand sq.ft. of 130 one armed bandits and 88 table games.