iGaming Billionaire Laurence Escalante Charged with Assault, Burglary, Drug Offenses

• Billionaire social casino founder accused of assaulting ex-partner in Perth
  
• Police allege burglary, theft, and pattern of domestic abuse
  
• Drug charges follow raid on Perth mansion, authorities say

The billionaire owner of social casino sites Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker appeared in an Australian courtroom Thursday accused of breaking into the home of his ex-partner and attacking her.

Laurence Escalante is charged with aggravated assault, criminal damage, aggravated home burglary, and theft in relation to the incident, which occurred on Monday night, according to local reporting.

The 44-year-old CEO and executive chairman of Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) was arrested on Thursday after police raided his mansion in Perth, Western Australia, authorities said. As well as the assault, he is accused of damaging property and stealing luxury items from the 24-year-old alleged victim.

Police have also charged him with “persistently engaging in family violence,” an offense under Western Australia law that covers repeated domestic abuse or intimidation over time.

Drug Stash

In addition, investigators said they found “trafficable quantities” of cocaine, MDMA and ketamine when they raided his home and have charged him with three counts of drug possession with intent to sell or supply.

The entrepreneur appeared in court behind a security screen, according to Perth Now. He wore a black puffer jacket despite warm temperatures and was flanked by guards, the outlet noted.

Escalante was granted bail after posting a $100K bond. The conditions include a restraining order barring contact with the alleged victim, a ban on leaving Western Australia, and twice-weekly reporting to police. He is due back in court on February 26.

Worth $4.5 Billion

A former financial advisor, Escalante founded White Knight Games in 2004, a company that produced video games with Christian themes. In 2010, he moved into the booming social casino space, founding Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), which launched Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker.

Escalante’s net worth was estimated at A$4.5 billion (US$3.1 billion) by the Australian Financial Review’s most recent Rich List.

Leave of Absence

A spokesperson for VGW said the charges against Escalante were unrelated to the company and “very personal in nature.” He would be taking “leave of absence” from his role as CEO and chairman, the spokesperson confirmed.

“In the interim, we have installed experienced leadership from our existing executive team to take on those responsibilities, and it remains business as usual for VGW,” read the statement. “The company takes any allegations of this nature extremely seriously. As this is a private matter and remains before the courts, we cannot comment further.”