Gun Lake Casino’s Sal Semola named ‘Best of The Best’ in gaming and hospitality
Gun Lake Casino (GLC) in Michigan has announced its CEO, Sal Semola, has been selected to the prestigious “Best of The Best” list in gaming and hospitality.
The recognition comes from Bentley Price Associates, a worldwide executive sourcing specialist in the hospitality industry for nearly five decades.
The “Best of the Best” list recognizes executive leaders in the hospitality and casino gaming industry, regardless of the organization’s size. Peers nominate candidates, and their ad hoc committee selects them based on their demonstrated ability to lead throughout their careers. The committee considers new candidates monthly and makes a final decision each quarter.
Bentley Price Associates honored Semola with the award, noting his many years of experience and accomplishments. His career began almost 50 years ago as a dishwasher and he has spent the last 25 years as a top-level executive who has been involved with significant casino resort properties throughout the United States.
Semola has earned several other awards, including the Eastern Division of the Casino Management Association “Gaming Professional of the Year” and the University of NevadaLas Vegas William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration “Industry Executive of the Year.” In 2021, the Grand Rapids Business Journal recognized Semola as the Newsmaker of the Year.
In 2017, the Gun Lake Tribe hired Semola as President and COO of Gun Lake Casino. This was the first executive hired to take over from the Tribe’s management company upon the contract’s expiration.
In the spring of 2022, Semola was named CEO of Gun Lake Casino following his successful leadership of GLC’s Phase 4 expansion, which opened in September 2021. The expansion brought three new restaurants and enhanced live entertainment. Semola’s leadership was instrumental in navigating the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shutdowns and social distancing measures. Semola is now leading the Phase 5 expansion, slated to open in spring 2025. The project includes a four-diamond 252-room, 15-story hotel tower with a spa and meeting space. The hotel resort will also showcase a 32,000-square-foot entertainment dome boasting year-round 80-degree weather and three separate indoor swimming pools.
