Note 7 - Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC	9 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2014
Rock Ohio Ventures [Member]
Note 7 - Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC [Line Items]
Cost-method Investments, Description [Text Block]	7. Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC Lakes has a 10% ownership investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC (“Rock Ohio Ventures”), a privately-held company, that owns 80% of the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio which opened to the public in May 2012; the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio which opened in March 2013; the Thistledown Racino in North Randall, Ohio which added VLTs to its existing racetrack in April 2013; and Turfway Park, a thoroughbred horseracing track located in Florence, Kentucky. This investment is accounted for using the cost method since Lakes owns less than 20% of Rock Ohio Ventures and does not have the ability to significantly influence the operating and financial decisions of the entity. At September 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, Lakes had invested a total of $21.0 million in Rock Ohio Ventures, which is included in investment in unconsolidated investee in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. This investment was determined to have experienced an other-than-temporary impairment and was reduced to its estimated fair value of zero as of September 28, 2014. As a result, Lakes recognized an impairment loss of $21.0 million, which is included in impairments and other losses in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 28, 2014. The Company's cost method investment is evaluated, on at least a quarterly basis, for potential other-than-temporary impairment, or when an event or change in circumstances has occurred that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Lakes monitors this investment for impairment by considering all information available to the Company including the economic environment of the markets served by the properties Rock Ohio Ventures owns; market conditions including existing and potential future competition; recent or expected changes in the regulatory environment; operational performance and financial results; known changes in the objectives of Rock Ohio Venture’s management; known or expected changes in ownership of Rock Ohio Ventures; and any other known significant factors relating to the business underlying the investment. As part of the review of operational performance and financial results for considering if there are indications of impairment, the Company utilizes financial statements of Rock Ohio Ventures and its owned gaming properties to assess the investee’s ability to operate from a financial standpoint. The Company also analyzes Rock Ohio Ventures’ cash flows and working capital to determine if the Company’s investment in this entity has experienced an other-than-temporary impairment. As part of this process, the Company analyzes actual historical results compared to forecast and has periodic discussions with management of Rock Ohio Ventures to obtain additional information related to the Company’s investment in Rock Ohio Ventures to determine whether any events have occurred that would necessitate further analysis of the Company’s recorded investment in Rock Ohio Ventures for impairment. Based on these procedures, Lakes has determined that the Company’s investment in Rock Ohio Ventures has experienced an other-than-temporary impairment as of September 28, 2014. Based on current information provided by Rock Ohio Ventures, Lakes has determined that there is now significant uncertainty surrounding the recovery of Lakes’ investment in Rock Ohio Ventures. The Ohio gaming properties have not performed as expected which has led to forecasted potential working capital requirement issues that did not exist in prior quarters, based on information previously available to Lakes. As a result, Lakes determined that an other-than-temporary impairment had occurred and reduced the carrying value of the investment in Rock Ohio Ventures to its estimated fair value of zero as of September 28, 2014. In all periods prior to September 28, 2014, Lakes had determined that no other-than-temporary impairments had occurred related to this investment. The fair value of the investment in Rock Ohio Ventures was not estimated in prior periods because based on the information Lakes received from Rock Ohio Ventures in those periods, there were no events or changes in circumstances that may have had a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment, and Lakes’ management determined that it was not practicable or necessary to estimate the fair value of the investment. Lakes will continue to evaluate this investment at least quarterly. See note 15, Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements, for further discussion of the calculation of the fair value of the investment in Rock Ohio Ventures as of September 28, 2014. Lakes has the right, but not the obligation, to make additional investments up to 10% of equity required by Rock Ohio Ventures to develop the properties it owns in return for a corresponding equity interest in those properties (see note 16, Commitments and Contingencies).
Dania Entertainment Holdings [Member]
Note 7 - Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC [Line Items]
Cost-method Investments, Description [Text Block]	8. Investment in Dania Entertainment Center, LLC On May 22, 2013, Dania Entertainment Center, LLC (“DEC”) purchased the Dania Jai Alai property located in Dania Beach, Florida, from Boyd Gaming Corporation, for $65.5 million. As part of a previous plan to purchase the property, during 2011 Lakes loaned $4.0 million to DEC (the “Loan”) which was written down to zero during the third quarter of 2011 when the acquisition did not close. During 2013, the Loan was exchanged for a 20% ownership interest in Dania Entertainment Holdings, LLC (“DEH”). The Company accounted for its investment in DEH as a cost method investment. At the time the Loan was exchanged for an equity investment in DEH, Lakes determined its value remained at zero due to the negative cash flows of the existing operations of the Dania Jai Alai property as well as uncertainty surrounding completion of the project. Therefore, there was no value recorded for this investment in the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheet. On April 21, 2014, Lakes entered into a redemption agreement with DEH that resulted in DEH redeeming Lakes’ 20% ownership in DEH in exchange for DEH granting to Lakes 5% ownership in DEC. Concurrently, Lakes entered into an agreement with an unrelated third party, ONDISS Corp. (“ONDISS”), to sell its ownership in DEC to ONDISS for approximately $2.6 million. Lakes received $1.0 million on April 21, 2014, which was recorded as a gain on sale of cost method investment in the consolidated statements of operations during the second quarter of 2014. Also on April 21, 2014, 40% of Lakes’ ownership was transferred to ONDISS. The agreement also required that ONDISS pay Lakes three installments of approximately $0.5 million each on October 21, 2014, April 21, 2015 and October 21, 2015, and on each date one-third of Lakes’ remaining ownership would be transferred to ONDISS. On October 17, 2014, ONDISS paid the entire remaining amount due to Lakes at a discounted amount of approximately $1.4 million. Upon receipt of such payment, Lakes transferred its remaining ownership in DEC to ONDISS. Lakes will account for the receipt of this payment as a gain on sale of cost method investment in the consolidated statements of operations in the fourth quarter of 2014. See note 15, Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements, for discussion of the fair value of this investment.

Note 7 - Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC

9 Months Ended

Sep. 28, 2014

Rock Ohio Ventures [Member]

Note 7 - Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC [Line Items]

Cost-method Investments, Description [Text Block]

7. Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC

Lakes has a 10% ownership investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC (“Rock Ohio Ventures”), a privately-held company, that owns 80% of the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio which opened to the public in May 2012; the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio which opened in March 2013; the Thistledown Racino in North Randall, Ohio which added VLTs to its existing racetrack in April 2013; and Turfway Park, a thoroughbred horseracing track located in Florence, Kentucky. This investment is accounted for using the cost method since Lakes owns less than 20% of Rock Ohio Ventures and does not have the ability to significantly influence the operating and financial decisions of the entity. At September 28, 2014 and December 29, 2013, Lakes had invested a total of $21.0 million in Rock Ohio Ventures, which is included in investment in unconsolidated investee in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. This investment was determined to have experienced an other-than-temporary impairment and was reduced to its estimated fair value of zero as of September 28, 2014. As a result, Lakes recognized an impairment loss of $21.0 million, which is included in impairments and other losses in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for the three and nine months ended September 28, 2014.

The Company's cost method investment is evaluated, on at least a quarterly basis, for potential other-than-temporary impairment, or when an event or change in circumstances has occurred that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment. Lakes monitors this investment for impairment by considering all information available to the Company including the economic environment of the markets served by the properties Rock Ohio Ventures owns; market conditions including existing and potential future competition; recent or expected changes in the regulatory environment; operational performance and financial results; known changes in the objectives of Rock Ohio Venture’s management; known or expected changes in ownership of Rock Ohio Ventures; and any other known significant factors relating to the business underlying the investment.

As part of the review of operational performance and financial results for considering if there are indications of impairment, the Company utilizes financial statements of Rock Ohio Ventures and its owned gaming properties to assess the investee’s ability to operate from a financial standpoint. The Company also analyzes Rock Ohio Ventures’ cash flows and working capital to determine if the Company’s investment in this entity has experienced an other-than-temporary impairment. As part of this process, the Company analyzes actual historical results compared to forecast and has periodic discussions with management of Rock Ohio Ventures to obtain additional information related to the Company’s investment in Rock Ohio Ventures to determine whether any events have occurred that would necessitate further analysis of the Company’s recorded investment in Rock Ohio Ventures for impairment. Based on these procedures, Lakes has determined that the Company’s investment in Rock Ohio Ventures has experienced an other-than-temporary impairment as of September 28, 2014. Based on current information provided by Rock Ohio Ventures, Lakes has determined that there is now significant uncertainty surrounding the recovery of Lakes’ investment in Rock Ohio Ventures. The Ohio gaming properties have not performed as expected which has led to forecasted potential working capital requirement issues that did not exist in prior quarters, based on information previously available to Lakes. As a result, Lakes determined that an other-than-temporary impairment had occurred and reduced the carrying value of the investment in Rock Ohio Ventures to its estimated fair value of zero as of September 28, 2014. In all periods prior to September 28, 2014, Lakes had determined that no other-than-temporary impairments had occurred related to this investment. The fair value of the investment in Rock Ohio Ventures was not estimated in prior periods because based on the information Lakes received from Rock Ohio Ventures in those periods, there were no events or changes in circumstances that may have had a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment, and Lakes’ management determined that it was not practicable or necessary to estimate the fair value of the investment. Lakes will continue to evaluate this investment at least quarterly.

See note 15, Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements, for further discussion of the calculation of the fair value of the investment in Rock Ohio Ventures as of September 28, 2014.

Lakes has the right, but not the obligation, to make additional investments up to 10% of equity required by Rock Ohio Ventures to develop the properties it owns in return for a corresponding equity interest in those properties (see note 16, Commitments and Contingencies).

Dania Entertainment Holdings [Member]

Note 7 - Investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC [Line Items]

Cost-method Investments, Description [Text Block]

8. Investment in Dania Entertainment Center, LLC

On May 22, 2013, Dania Entertainment Center, LLC (“DEC”) purchased the Dania Jai Alai property located in Dania Beach, Florida, from Boyd Gaming Corporation, for $65.5 million.

As part of a previous plan to purchase the property, during 2011 Lakes loaned $4.0 million to DEC (the “Loan”) which was written down to zero during the third quarter of 2011 when the acquisition did not close. During 2013, the Loan was exchanged for a 20% ownership interest in Dania Entertainment Holdings, LLC (“DEH”).

The Company accounted for its investment in DEH as a cost method investment. At the time the Loan was exchanged for an equity investment in DEH, Lakes determined its value remained at zero due to the negative cash flows of the existing operations of the Dania Jai Alai property as well as uncertainty surrounding completion of the project. Therefore, there was no value recorded for this investment in the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

On April 21, 2014, Lakes entered into a redemption agreement with DEH that resulted in DEH redeeming Lakes’ 20% ownership in DEH in exchange for DEH granting to Lakes 5% ownership in DEC. Concurrently, Lakes entered into an agreement with an unrelated third party, ONDISS Corp. (“ONDISS”), to sell its ownership in DEC to ONDISS for approximately $2.6 million. Lakes received $1.0 million on April 21, 2014, which was recorded as a gain on sale of cost method investment in the consolidated statements of operations during the second quarter of 2014. Also on April 21, 2014, 40% of Lakes’ ownership was transferred to ONDISS. The agreement also required that ONDISS pay Lakes three installments of approximately $0.5 million each on October 21, 2014, April 21, 2015 and October 21, 2015, and on each date one-third of Lakes’ remaining ownership would be transferred to ONDISS. On October 17, 2014, ONDISS paid the entire remaining amount due to Lakes at a discounted amount of approximately $1.4 million. Upon receipt of such payment, Lakes transferred its remaining ownership in DEC to ONDISS. Lakes will account for the receipt of this payment as a gain on sale of cost method investment in the consolidated statements of operations in the fourth quarter of 2014.

See note 15, Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements, for discussion of the fair value of this investment.