Australian billionaire Laurence Escalante appeared before a Perth court on Friday morning to face multiple criminal charges, including allegations of family violence, aggravated assault, burglary, and drug offenses.
The founder of huge sweepstakes gaming conglomerate Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), Escalante, 44, is accused of breaking into the Perth home of a 24-year-old woman, described as his former partner, on Jan. 26. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Escalante is accused of damaging property and committing an assault, among other alleged incidents spanning from mid-2025 to January 2026. Authorities also executed a search warrant at his residence that reportedly uncovered illicit drugs, according to court records.
Since its founding in 2010, VGW has grown into a major operator of online social and sweepstakes casino platforms. VGW’s portfolio includes well-known brands such as Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots, which offer social and sweepstakes gaming primarily to a U.S. audience. The company has long focused on the North American market, where its platforms have drawn millions of players and made VGW one of the best-known names in the sweepstakes casino sector.
VGW: ‘Serious charges made against Mr. Escalante’ are ‘unrelated to VGW and personal in nature’
In light of the criminal charges, VGW issued a statement Friday saying that Escalante would be stepping away from the company, with interim leadership installed in his absence.
“We are aware of the serious charges made against Mr. Escalante,” VGW said. “These are unrelated to VGW and personal in nature. However, we can confirm Mr. Escalante will be taking a leave of absence from his role as CEO and Executive Chairman of VGW. 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.”
“The company takes any allegations of this nature extremely seriously,” the statement concluded. “As this is a private matter and remains before the courts, we cannot comment further.”
Sweepsy has reached out to VGW for further comment.
Escalante faces assault, burglary, and other charges
Escalante, whose $4.5 billion net worth put him at 35th on the Australian Financial Review Rich List last year, was arrested on Thursday. Prosecutors said the alleged victim, whose yearlong relationship with Escalante ended in December, said she awoke to several angry messages from the gaming executive on Monday evening.
Later that night, Escalante allegedly showed up at the woman’s home, forced his way into her bedroom and hit her “in the face with a closed fist,” prosecutors said. Escalante then allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from the woman. The woman also told police that Escalante had assaulted her on multiple other occasions during their relationship.
Police said that while searching Escalante’s home on Thursday, they found 18 grams of methamphetamine, 12.2 grams of ketamine, and 30 grams of cocaine. In 2023, Escalante pleaded guilty to possessing small amounts of cocaine, ecstasy and LSD after flying into Australia on his private jet, but was spared a conviction and instead received a “good behaviour bond.”
Escalante was charged with aggravated assault, family violence, aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and drug-related offenses, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s ABC News.
Escalante was granted bail and posted a $100,000 bond. His lawyers say he plans to fight the charges.
VGW pushes forward despite regulatory setbacks in US
Escalante grew VGW from a small Australia-based startup into one of the largest companies in the U.S. sweepstakes casino space. Under Escalante’s leadership, the company has expanded rapidly over the past decade, building a large and loyal U.S. player base. By the early 2020s, VGW had become the biggest brand in online sweepstakes gaming, a position reflected in the company’s multibillion-dollar annual revenues.
VGW’s size and influence have also made it a central figure as U.S. lawmakers and regulators increasingly scrutinize sweepstakes-style gaming. VGW brands have been the recipient of cease-and-desist letters from multiple U.S. states seeking to restrict access to sweepstakes gaming sites, while states like California, New York and New Jersey passed legislation banning sweepstakes operators. Due to the pressure, in late 2025, VGW eliminated the sweepstakes (or “Promotional Play”) element of its platforms in states like Tennessee and California, switching to a free-to-play model without cash prize payouts.
Despite the state-level setbacks, VGW has continued to roll out new products. In December, it launched its fourth brand, LuckyLand Casino, and announced another brand, United Slots, would be available in the first quarter of 2026.
Earlier this month, VGW announced a new multiyear partnership with the WWE that will see its brands integrated across WWE programming and live events in the U.S., including promotional campaigns tied to flagship shows and major pay-per-view events.
