The Gun Lake Tribe's Gun Lake Casino has been recognized by the Grand Rapids Business Journal as the 2017 Newsmaker of the Year in Arts & Entertainment. The recently opened $76 million expansion at the casiino was the catalyst for the award.
Tribal Chairman Scott Sprague accepted the award on behalf of the Tribal Council, casino management staff and more than 1,000 valued team members.
“We thank the Business Journal for recognizing the Gun Lake Casino expansion as a noteworthy event in West Michigan,” he said. “This award is possible because we value great guest service, offering excellent career opportunities to our team members and sharing revenue with the local community.”
he Business Journal staff nominated 48 finalists in 16 different categories this year. Three finalists in each category were invited to the 2017 Newsmakers of the Year breakfast at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park before 600 business professionals.
The casino expansion opened in May, 2017 to nearly double square footage and increase of electronic gaming machines. Other amenities include the 300-seat Harvest Buffet, the new Stage 131 entertainment lounge, a high-limit game room and the Chill bar.
The tribe has shared more than $100 million with state and local governments in 14 separate distributions. The fall 2017 revenue sharing distribution saw an increase of 24 percent due to the increased number of electronic gaming machines.
