Laurence Escalante, the billionaire founder of online gambling company Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), has resigned from his directorships following his arrest and court appearance on multiple charges including family violence, drug possession, and burglary.
The 44-year-old appeared in a Perth court accused of assaulting a 24-year-old woman at her home on Australia Day. Police allege he broke into her home, damaged property, stole items, and committed the assault. The woman is known to him.
According to police, some charges relate to alleged serious family violence incidents that occurred between June 2025 and January 2026. The charges include persistently engaging in family violence, aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm, and criminal damage or destruction of property.
During a search of his home on Thursday, police allegedly located a trafficable quantity of illicit drugs, including cocaine and MDMA.
Escalante, worth $4.5 billion according to the Australian Financial Review Rich List, founded VGW in 2010. The company, headquartered in Perth, provides online casino services primarily to US customers, with up to one million users daily.
