Perth Billionaire Laurence Escalante in Court Amid Serious Allegations
Perth billionaire Laurence Escalante, aged 44, was at the centre of dramatic scenes outside Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where his minder engaged in a physical altercation with a cameraman. The businessman, creator of Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), raised his eyebrows as the scrum unfolded, but remained silent throughout the incident. His minder managed to shield him with an umbrella before he was quickly escorted into a waiting vehicle without addressing reporters.
Bail Conditions Relaxed for Escalante
During the court hearing, Escalante had his bail conditions significantly relaxed. Represented by high-profile lawyer and former District Court judge Simon Freitag, he successfully secured variations to his bail order. The changes now permit him to drop friends off at the airport and visit Fremantle, with the original prohibition against being within 500 metres of an international departure point amended to merely avoiding the departure buildings themselves. Magistrate Belinda Coleman noted that the previous condition would have unfairly restricted his movements, such as preventing visits to Fremantle.
Additionally, Escalante is allowed to use his aircraft, though a suppression order remains in place to protect the identification of his whereabouts and those of his children, now extended to cover any aircraft he resides or travels on. However, he is still barred from leaving Western Australia and has surrendered his passport. His reporting requirement to a central police station was reduced from three times a week to once weekly.
Serious Charges and Police Raid
Escalante faces multiple serious charges, including allegedly breaking into his 24-year-old ex-partner's home on Australia Day, assaulting her, and stealing luxury items. Police reported that the pair had been in a relationship for 12 months and separated weeks prior to the incident, with the woman waking to find threatening messages, including one stating "I'm coming now". He is also charged with persistently engaging in family violence between June 2025 and January 2026, and with possession of illicit drugs with intent to sell or supply. Escalante has not yet entered pleas to these allegations.
The case follows a dramatic police raid on his residence late last month, details of which cannot be disclosed due to fears he could be targeted or abducted because of his vast wealth. He was detained overnight in a police lock-up before being granted bail at his initial court appearance on January 30.
Background and Business Impact
Laurence Escalante is the founder and former CEO of VGW, a company behind online gambling brands like Chumba Casino and Global Poker, established in 2010. The company saw significant growth during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the United States. According to the latest Financial Review Rich List, Escalante has amassed a fortune of $4.5 billion. In August last year, he completed an $810 million offer to acquire the remaining 30% of VGW he did not own, revaluing the company at $3.2 billion. Following the charges, VGW confirmed that Escalante would take a leave of absence from his executive roles.
Escalante is next scheduled to appear in court on June 18, where further developments in this high-profile case are expected.
