Stephen R. Roark, Black Hawk president, says his company has concluded that Claridge doesn't fit into its growth plans, so it is abandoning talks and due diligence. He says he normally wouldn't announce that he's withdrawing from talks since he never formally announced they had begun. Because Claridge had publicly announced the purchase of Claridge, "we felt it necessary to announce that we presently have no interest in the property," he says.

Black Hawk Gaming, however, is finalizing the acquisition of the Gold Dust West Casino in Reno, NV. In Colorado, it owns the Gilpin Hotel Casino in Black hawk and is the 75% owner of the Lodge Casino at Black hawk. With a total of 1,300 gaming devices under management, it is the state's largest gaming operator.