There is a captivating history to the Cambodia gambling halls that reside just over the border from neighboring Thailand, in which gambling den wagering is not permitted. Eight gambling halls are situated in a relatively small area in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This group of Cambodia gambling halls is in an excellent location, a three to 4 hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a huge business with Thai workers and guests from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very couple of Westerners. The phenomenal capital accrued from the casinos ranges from $7.5 million to more than 12.5 million dollars, and there are a couple of restrictions requirements for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, investment sources are vague. The borders are officially open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and though visas are allegedly necessary to pass, there are methods around this, as is true of most border crossings.

The 1st Cambodia gambling halls opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were required to close in 1998, leaving just one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked ship gambling hall, highlights one hundred and fifty slot machine games and sixty table games. The Naga river boat is open all hours with forty two tables of mini-baccarat banque, 4 tables of chemin de fer, 10 of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and 1 each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The first gambling den in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in 1999 and the Golden Crown soon followed. A total of 150 slot machines and 5 table games at the Golden Crown and 104 one armed bandits and 68 gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 one armed bandits and 96 table games, including eighty seven baccarat (the most beloved game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. In addition, there is the Casino Tropicana, with 135 one armed bandits and sixty six of the familiar gaming tables, as well as a single table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the eight gambling halls in Poipet, again in a hotel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machines and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is part of an all-around vacation and hotel complex that highlights many amenities aside from the casino, which has ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty one armed bandits and 88 gaming tables.