There is an appealing story to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just over the border from nearby Thailand, where casino betting is against the law. Eight casinos are based in a generally tiny space in the metropolis of Poipet in Cambodia. This collection of Cambodia gambling halls is in a perfect area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest betting locations in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai blue-collar workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with just a few Westerners. The phenomenal income accrued from the gambling halls ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of restrictions requirements for casino ownership. Ownership is presumed to be largely Thai; although, financial sources are ambiguous. The borders are officially open from 0900 to 1700, and even though visas are for all intents and purposes needed to pass, there are ways around this, as is true of many border crossings.

The original Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were required to close in 1998, leaving only one casino in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a stationary ship gambling den, features 150 slots and 60 tables. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 tables of vingt-et-un, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The first casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown quickly opened. A total of one hundred and fifty slot machines and 5 tables at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and sixty eight tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 one armed bandits and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and ninety six table games, including 87 baccarat chemin de fer (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 slots and 66 of the normal gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. An additional of the 8 casinos in Poipet, again in 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 a comprehensive vacation and hotel building that contains numerous comforts accompanying the gambling den, which offers 10,000 square feet of 130 slot machines and eighty eight gaming tables.