Plaza Hotel & Casino names Christiaan van Buuren as director of table games

The Plaza Hotel and Casino Las Vegas has also made promotions in its food and beverage team.

Press release.- The Plaza Hotel and Casino Las Vegas has hired Christiaan van Buuren as its new director of table games. The resort has also promoted Ryan Rowland to vice president of food and beverage programme and Courtney Allen was named director of food and beverage.

van Buuren’s has experience in casino and hotel operations, including at Gold Reef Casino Resorts in his native South Africa and at Regent Seven Seas Cruises. He headed up the casino gaming division of Kangwon Land, in Korea. He came to Las Vegas to be part of the SLS opening team and then moved to spearhead the rebranding of the casino at The STRAT.

The Plaza promoted Ryan Rowland to vice president of food and beverage programme. Rowland joined the Plaza’s food and beverage team in 2019 as its director. Previously, he was director of restaurants for the transition of the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino to Park MGM. He also worked in management positions at Spago Las Vegas, Michael Mina Bellagio, StripSteak at Mandalay Bay, and Jean-Georges Prime Steakhouse.

Courtney Allen was named director of food and beverage. Allen started at the Plaza as general manager of its rooftop pool operations in 2018 and then transitioned to the culinary management team. Previously, Allen worked at Downtown Grand Las Vegas. She began her career in the San Francisco Bay area as a manager for Blue Mermaid and Puccini & Pinetti restaurants and then as food and beverage manager at Parc 55.

Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino, said: “Having a qualified and dedicated executive team enables the Plaza to provide guests with an unmatched experience in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. I am excited to welcome Christiaan and am confident his diverse background will further enhance our casino operations.

“And I congratulate Ryan and Courtney on their success in elevating our food & beverage program. From delivering an authentic steakhouse experience at Oscar’s to developing a unique craft cocktail program at our new Carousel Bar, their creative vision and seamless execution will be critical as the Plaza continues to create new offerings for our guests.”

Last year, the resort named Sue Ascanio as its general manager. With more than 30 years of experience as a gaming and hospitality executive, Ascanio recently worked as general manager at River Rock Casino in Sonoma, California.

Nevada gaming revenue reaches $1.37bn in November

The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s (NGCB) reported that the state’s casinos generated $1.37bn in gaming revenue in November, a 12.56 per cent increase from the same month in 2022. In October 2023, the state’s casinos generated $1.31bn in revenue.

According to the report, Clark County, which includes the Strip, downtown Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, the Boulder Strip and surrounding areas, registered $1.2bn in revenue, a 14.43 per cent increase. Carson Valley Area reported a win of $11.1m, a 9.21 per cent increase.

See also: Fontainebleau Las Vegas names Maurice Wooden as president