Plans for the casino were revealed in 1997 by Windsor Woodmont, a company formed by several Dallas-based real estate developers.
[1] Excavation work on the site began in August 1998, but stalled later that year, reportedly because of financing problems related to the arrival of two other large casinos in Black Hawk (the Lodge and the Isle of Capri).
[8] As a result, Windsor Woodmont defaulted on payments towards $100 million of bonds that had been issued to finance the construction.
[9] Bondholders soon moved to foreclose on the casino, forcing the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2002.
[17] In 2016, Gaming and Leisure Properties bought most of Pinnacle's real estate assets, including Ameristar Black Hawk, in a leaseback transaction.