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                                                                    Exhibit 31.1

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Lyle Berman, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Lakes Entertainment,
     Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
     make the statement made, in light of the circumstances under which such
     statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this quarterly report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all
     material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
     flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this
     quarterly report;

4.   Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s other certifying officer(s) and I are
     responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for
     Lakes Entertainment, Inc., and have:

     a.   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
          disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
          supervision, to ensure that material information relating to Lakes
          Entertainment, Inc., including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
          known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
          period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

     b.   evaluated the effectiveness of Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s disclosure
          controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions
          about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as
          of the end of the period covered by this report based on such
          evaluation; and

     c.   disclosed in this report any change in Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s
          internal control over financial reporting that occurred during Lakes
          Entertainment, Inc.'s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially
          affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Lakes
          Entertainment, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting;

5.   Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s other certifying officer(s) and I have
     disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
     financial reporting, to Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s auditors and the audit
     committee of Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s board of directors or persons
     performing the equivalent functions):

     a.   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
          operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
          reasonably likely to adversely affect Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s
          ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
          information; and

     b.   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
          employees who have a significant role in Lakes Entertainment, Inc.'s
          internal control over financial reporting.

Date: August 13, 2003                                 /s/Lyle Berman
                                                      --------------------------
                                                      Lyle Berman
                                                      Chief Executive Officer

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