For most of his life, Tony Gonzalez has been a part of gaming operations for the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. His mom, Barbara Gonzalez, was on the Council when the current Grand Lake Casino building was built in the 80’s. His Dad, Alejandro M. (Cano) Gonzalez Jr., was the Chief of Security and his aunt was part of starting the bingo hall before Grand Lake Casino was established. Tony's first job was selling coffee at the bingo hall when he was 16. He has worked in the game room, as security, and in management. If there is a job at a casino, Tony has probably done it! In addition, he also served as a Navy Corpsman and was deployed as a medic during Desert Storm. 

Some of Tony's early jobs were front of house, and included calling bingo. He enjoyed the energy of hosting customers and making sure everyone has a good experience. Currently, Tony is an HR Administrator, where he focuses on making sure employees have a positive work environment and experience. He says that he is "helping young people and new employees have the same energy I got from calling bingo." He wants them to learn that the "attitude you bring to work can make it fun, so you don't feel like you are going to work every day."

Learning and education are an essential part of Tony's life. His first degree was an associate's degree from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, earned in 2010. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in American Indian Studies and a minor in History from OU. In 2015, Tony earned a Master in Higher Education Leadership, and in May of 2020, he added his second master's degree when he completed coursework in Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law. Tony says he will probably "go to school until he runs out of money" so that he can continue to learn.  

Tony's profile would not be complete without mentioning that he is an eternally optimistic Kansas City Chiefs fan and follows all things OU sports. In fact, Tony was the game announcer for the OU softball team. In addition to his job as a Life Coach for Grand Lake Mental Health, Tony's son, Blake, is following in his dad’s footsteps as an announcer for MMA. Tony’s son, Bear, works at Grand Lake Casino and his daughter, Brittney, works at home. Tony is married to Angela (Giberti) Gonzalez, and they will be celebrating 33 years together in June!

Tony is naturally positive about life, not just the Chiefs. He hopes that everyone can learn that it is "much easier to approach life positively and not worry yourself to death." Tony tries to treat everyone the same, without judgment and giving the benefit of the doubt. Grand Lake Casino and the Seneca-Cayuga Nation are thankful for people like Tony, who invest in our future, invest in our young people, and work every day to make the world a better place.