▁to ▁get ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁disc ount ▁travel ▁business ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁cas ino ▁business ▁itself . ▁Cas ino ▁legal ization ▁was ▁spread ing ▁rapidly , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Mid west , ▁and ▁the ▁Fish mans ▁applied ▁for ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁license ▁for ▁a ▁river bo at ▁cas ino ▁in ▁Metropol is , ▁Illinois . ▁Back ed ▁by ▁game ▁show ▁im pres ario ▁and ▁former ▁talk ▁show ▁host ▁Mer v ▁Griff in , ▁the ▁company ▁opened ▁the ▁cas ino ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁With ▁little ▁competition ▁close ▁by , ▁it ▁was ▁an ▁immediate ▁success . ▁ ▁Fl ush ▁from ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁Metropol is ▁property , ▁Play ers ▁developed ▁a ▁second ▁river bo at ▁cas ino ▁in ▁Lake ▁Charles , ▁Louisiana ▁later ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁With ▁its ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁the ▁Texas ▁state ▁line , ▁the ▁Lake ▁Charles ▁property ▁attract ed ▁g amb lers ▁from ▁the ▁Houston ▁market , ▁and ▁was ▁extremely ▁prof itable . ▁The ▁operation ▁expanded ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁a ▁second ▁river bo at , ▁purchased ▁from ▁a ▁closed ▁cas ino ▁operation ▁on ▁Lake ▁Pont chart rain . ▁This ▁allowed ▁guests ▁to ▁board ▁at ▁more ▁convenient ▁times , ▁getting ▁around ▁state ▁reg ulations ▁which ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁board ▁only ▁during ▁a ▁ 4 5 - min ute ▁window ▁every ▁three ▁hours ▁by ▁st agger ing ▁the ▁" c ru ise " ▁sched ules . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁the ▁company