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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:  May 19, 2004                    /s/Lyle Berman
                                       --------------------------
                                       Lyle Berman
                                       Chief Executive Officer