<PAGE>

                                                             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
      statements 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 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 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: November 17, 2004                        /s/Lyle Berman
                                               ---------------------------------
                                               Lyle Berman
                                               Chief Executive Officer