There is a captivating background to the Cambodia gambling dens that reside just across the dividing line from next door Thailand, where casino wagering is banned. Eight gambling dens are situated in a relatively tiny space in the city of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia gambling dens is in an excellent area, a three to four hour trip from Bangkok and Macao, the 2 most popular gambling locations in Asia. Cambodia casinos do a thriving business with Thai laborers and tourists from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The amazing income gained from the gambling dens ranges from 7.5 million dollars to more than twelve and a half million dollars, and there are a couple of limitations constraints for casino ownership. Ownership is required to be mostly Thai; however, funding sources are cryptic. The borders are ceremoniously open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes required to pass, there are means around this, as is true of most border crossings.

The initial Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in the mid nineties, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling den in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a docked boat gambling den, features one hundred and fifty slot machines and sixty tables. The Naga casino never closes with 42 tables of mini-baccarat chemin de fer, 4 tables of chemin de fer, ten of roulette, 2 of Caribbean Stud Poker, and one each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The initial casino in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, premiered in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon opened. There are 150 slot machine games and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and sixty eight gaming tables at the Holiday Palace. The latest Holiday Palace Casino and Resort features 300 slot machines and seventy tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has 166 slot machines and 96 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 machine games 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 a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 slot machine games and ninety seven games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in a multinational resort and hotel building that features many amenities aside from the gambling hall, which provides ten thousand sq.ft. of one hundred and thirty slot machine games and 88 table games.