There is an appealing story to the Cambodia gambling halls that lie just over the dividing line from next door Thailand, in which gambling hall wagering is banned. Eight gambling dens are established in a relatively small area in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in a perfect area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 biggest gaming centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai laborers and travelers from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The astonishing capital acquired from the gambling halls ranges from 7.5 million dollars to over 12.5 million dollars, and there are a few limitations constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mainly Thai; however, financing sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are allegedly needed to cross, there are ways around this, as is real of many border crossings.

The initial Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in the late nineties, leaving only 1 casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary bateau gambling hall, highlights 150 one armed bandits and 60 table games. The Naga gambling den is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of 21, ten of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. A total of one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The newest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machine games and 70 tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six one armed bandits and ninety six gaming tables, including eighty seven punto banco (the most dominant game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Additionally, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and sixty six of the familiar gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling dens in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with one hundred and sixty six slot machines and ninety seven table games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a multinational resort and hotel building that features a number of luxuries aside from the casino, which contains 10,000 square feet of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and 88 gaming tables.