Kampot is one of Cambodia's cultural jewels, but as George Styllis writes, a flood of Chinese gambling money is making residents of this small sleepy town nervous.

There are now two casinos on Bokor with more expected to open once an 18,000-hectare resort, in the early stages of construction, is built.

This all reflects Cambodia's lurch towards gambling tourism. Casinos are tapping into demand among Chinese players for face-to-face and online play, both of which are banned at home.

The ease with which casino licences can be obtained, along with loose regulation, has triggered a gaming gold rush that is shaping entire cities around gambling.

Alex Gonzalez-Davidson, co-founder of Mother Nature, a local environmental NGO, said Chinese-backed investments are perceived as cut-throat, with little regard for locals or the environment.

"Many of these Chinese investments come hand in hand with large influxes of Chinese nationals into the areas where they happen, which in many instances tends to push away the local population, or worsen their standard of living."

But Cambodians antipathy towards Chinese investment goes beyond personal grievances.

Prime Minister HE has forged a close alliance with Beijing while exerting greater authoritarianism and open hostility towards Western governments.