EXHIBIT 5.1


                          [LATHAM & WATKINS LETTERHEAD]

                                January 29, 2002

Majestic Investor Holdings, LLC
Majestic Investor Capital Corp.
One Buffington Harbor Drive
Gary, Indiana 46406-3000


         Re:  Registration Statement for $152,632,000 Aggregate Principal Amount
              of 11.653% Senior Secured Notes due 2007 and Related Guarantees


Ladies and Gentlemen:

         In connection with the registration of $152,632,000 aggregate principal
amount of 11.653% Senior Secured Notes due 2007 (the "Registered Notes") by
Majestic Investor Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and
Majestic Investor Capital Corp., a Delaware corporation (collectively, the
"Issuers"), and the related guarantees (the "Guarantees") of the Registered
Notes by Barden Colorado Gaming, LLC, Barden Mississippi Gaming, LLC and Barden
Nevada Gaming, LLC (collectively the "Guarantors"), under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, on Form S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on January 28, 2002 (the "Registration Statement"), you have requested our
opinion with respect to the matters set forth below.

         The Registered Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as
of December 6, 2001 (the "Indenture") among the Issuers, the Guarantors and The
Bank of New York, as trustee (the "Trustee"). The Registered Notes will be
issued in exchange for the Issuers' outstanding 11.653% Senior Secured Notes due
2007 (the "Unregistered Notes") on the terms set forth in the prospectus
contained in the Registration Statement and the Letter of Transmittal filed as
an exhibit thereto (the "Exchange Offer").

         In our capacity as your special counsel in connection with the Exchange
Offer, we are familiar with the proceedings taken by the Issuers in connection
with the authorization and issuance of the Registered Notes. In addition, we
have made such legal and factual examinations and inquiries, including an
examination of originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our
satisfaction of such documents, corporate records and instruments, as we have
deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion.

         In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the
conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as
copies.



January 29, 2002
Page 2


         We are opining herein as to the effect on the subject transaction only
of the internal laws of the State of New York, the Delaware General Corporation
Law (the "DGCL") and the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the "DLLCA"),
and we express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the
effect thereon, of the laws of any other jurisdiction or, in the case of
Delaware, any other laws, or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of
any local agencies within any state.

         Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is
our opinion that as of the date hereof:

         (1) The Registered Notes have been duly authorized by all necessary
corporate action of the Issuers, and when executed, authenticated and delivered
by or on behalf of the Issuers in accordance with the terms of the Exchange
Offer and the Indenture, will constitute legally valid and binding obligations
of the Issuers, enforceable against the Issuers in accordance with their terms.

         (2) Assuming the due authorization of each Guarantee by the respective
Guarantor, when each of the Guarantees is executed and delivered in accordance
with the terms of the Indenture and when the Registered Notes have been duly
executed, authenticated and delivered in accordance with the terms of the
Exchange Offer and the Indenture, each Guarantee will be the legally valid and
binding obligation of the respective Guarantor, enforceable against it in
accordance with its terms.

         The opinions rendered in the foregoing paragraphs 1 and 2 are subject
to the following exceptions, limitations and qualifications: (i) the effect of
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or
other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to or affecting the
rights and remedies of creditors; (ii) the effect of general principles of
equity, whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law,
and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be
brought; and (iii) we express no opinion with respect to whether acceleration of
the Registered Notes may affect collectibility of that portion of the stated
principal amount thereof that might be determined to constitute unearned
interest thereon.

         We have not been requested to express and, with your knowledge and
consent, do not render any opinion with respect to the applicability to the
obligations of the Issuers under the Registered Notes and the Indenture or of
the Guarantors under the Guarantees and the Indenture of Section 548 of the
Bankruptcy Code or applicable state law (including, without limitation, Article
10 of the New York Debtor and Creditor Law) relating to fraudulent transfers and
obligations.

         To the extent that the respective obligations of the Issuers and the
Guarantors under the Indenture may be dependent upon such matters, we have
assumed for purposes of this opinion that the Trustee is duly organized, validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of
organization; that the Trustee is duly qualified to engage in the activities
contemplated by the Indenture; that the Indenture has been duly authorized,
executed and



January 29, 2002
Page 3

delivered by the Trustee and constitutes the legally valid, binding and
enforceable obligation of the Trustee, enforceable against the Trustee in
accordance with its terms; that the Trustee is in compliance, generally and with
respect to acting as a trustee under the Indenture, with all applicable laws and
regulations; and that the Trustee has the requisite organization and legal power
and authority to perform its obligations under the Indenture.

         We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm contained under the
heading "Legal Matters."

                                      Very truly yours,

                                      /s/ LATHAM & WATKINS