Casino boss takes over at Harrah's Ak-Chin Resort

When Tom Cook arrives at work, he hears music from live bands, the ringing of slot machines and the hoorays of lucky gamblers.

Not the typical office sounds, but normal for the latest senior vice president and general manager of Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Resort.

"There's always a constant energy on our casino floor," said Cook, who moved to Ahwatukee Foothills after accepting his promotion in June.

Cook has been with the company for eight years this month, although his casino career started much earlier.

One of his first jobs was dealing blackjack at Harvey's in Lake Tahoe while he was in college.

"It was a good way for me to pay for college and it was a lot of fun," he said.

Although, his new job doesn't require dealing cards, it is just as exciting.

Cook will be responsible for overseeing operations for the entire casino and resort. He is only the second general manager Harrah's Ak-Chin has ever seen since its opening in 1994.

"It's a business with a lot of moving parts," he said.

It's a big job, but he's prepared to do it.

Cook came from Atlantic City where he was assistant manager at the Showboat Casino Hotel. He also worked as vice president of slot operations and director of the database and Gold Card marketing.

Cook said Atlantic City is not much different from Phoenix, but he's glad to be back closer to the West Coast. He grew up in northern California and said transferring to Phoenix was like, "a dream come true."

Especially moving to Ahwatukee Foothills.

"Ahwatukee came in loud and clear in terms of education," said Cook, who has a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.

Cook and his wife said community and education were big motivators in choosing Ahwatukee Foothills as their home.

"It's nice to have that sense of community especially in Phoenix since it's so big," he said.

The life of a casino boss is never boring, he explained, adding that he enjoys working in the gaming industry and for Harrah's.

"Harrah's has everything that Vegas will offer," he said. "It provides a bit of an escape."

In Atlantic City, Cook was not allowed to gamble in the entire state of New Jersey, but the same rules don't apply in Arizona. He said he's looking forward to visiting some of the other Arizona casinos. Although, he won't gamble at Harrah's.

Cook said he's often asked for insider secrets to the tricks of the casino. Casino-goers grill him for hints to the active machines, but he never reveals too much.

"If I had the crystal ball that said what machines were hot, I wouldn't be sitting in the same chair," Cook said.