2022 Newsmaker: Sal Semola

Sal Semola

CEO

Gun Lake Casino

Sal Semola has been leading Gun Lake Casino (GLC) since 2017, when he stepped into the role of president and COO. This spring, Semola was promoted to CEO of Gun Lake, and helped lead the organization through a successful — and busy — year.

In spring 2022, GLC broke ground on Phase 5 of its $300 million expansion project. Phase 5 will add a new hotel and resort with aquadome and is expected to be completed in May 2025.

Gun Lake’s new, four-diamond hotel will stand at 15 stories with 252 rooms, including 30 luxury suites. The hotel also will have a full-service spa, pool and hot tub, new gift shop and business center with a meeting space.

The resort portion of the expansion will feature an aquadome. The 32,000-square-foot glass dome will house several pools for family, guests ages 21 and older and VIP guests. Other amenities include a swim-up bar, live palm trees and tropical foliage and a live entertainment space with 2,400-occupant capacity. The aquadome will be maintained at 85 degrees year-round to give guests a tropical resort experience.

“Phase 5 will transform the property into becoming a first-class destination resort. Without question, its design attributes will create a unique entertainment experience,” Semola said of the expansion. “Over the past 11 years, the Gun Lake Tribe and our Gun Lake Casino team members have worked tirelessly to make this all a possibility. This is just the next step toward making our property the premier entertainment destination in the Midwest.”