▁purchased ▁Bl u egr ass ▁Down s , ▁a ▁small ▁horse ▁racing ▁track ▁in ▁Pad uc ah , ▁Kentucky , ▁just ▁across ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River ▁from ▁Metropol is . ▁Play ers ▁hoped ▁that ▁the ▁Kentucky ▁legisl ature ▁would ▁eventually ▁legal ize ▁cas ino ▁g aming ▁at ▁its ▁horse ▁tracks ▁( a ▁concept ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁rac ino ), ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁purchase ▁would ▁serve ▁to ▁stem ▁any ▁potential ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁Metropol is ▁boat . ▁ ▁Play ers ' ▁first ▁and ▁only ▁land - based ▁cas ino ▁was ▁the ▁Play ers ▁Island ▁Res ort ▁in ▁Mes qu ite , ▁Nev ada , ▁about ▁an ▁hour ▁away ▁from ▁Las ▁Veg as . ▁This ▁resort ▁featured ▁a ▁sp a ▁and ▁lux ury ▁hotel , ▁and ▁was ▁unusual ▁in ▁that ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁main ▁market ing ▁efforts ▁was ▁toward ▁cas ino ▁workers ▁from ▁Veg as . ▁ ▁The ▁company ' s ▁final ▁major ▁project ▁was ▁a ▁third ▁river bo at ▁cas ino ▁facility ▁in ▁Maryland ▁He ights , ▁Missouri , ▁a ▁sub urb ▁of ▁St . ▁Louis . ▁This ▁project ▁was ▁a ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁with ▁Har rah ' s ▁Entertainment , ▁with ▁separate ▁adjacent ▁cas ino ▁b arg es ▁sharing ▁par king ▁and ▁board ing ▁facilities . ▁ ▁Har rah ' s ▁take over ▁( 2 0 0 0 ) ▁The ▁company ▁started ▁to ▁feel ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁increased ▁competition ▁from ▁further ▁legal ization ▁of ▁cas inos ▁throughout ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁turned ▁its ▁focus ▁to ▁its ▁existing ▁operations ▁in ▁ 1 9 9