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Laurence Escalante, the billionaire founder of the gaming brand Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), has been charged with assault, robbery, and drug offenses.
Charges against the betting magnate were laid in the Perth Magistrates Court in Western Australia, where it was said that he continued to engage in family violence, caused bodily harm to individuals, entered several properties, and was in possession of Class A drugs.
Escalante faces serious allegations
The charges filed against VGWs Escalante on Friday, 30 January 2026, shows offenses with multiple penalties related to persistent family violence, aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, and drug supply violations.
These included “trafficable quantities” of cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine, resulting in three counts of possession of drugs with intent to sell or supply.
The billionaire had the opportunity to appeal and contest the charges filed against him, but made a public statement through a gambling news outlet, The Straight.
“My arrest of these things has been a shock to myself and my family. From the little I know of the allegations at this stage, I can only say that they are not true and defend. I ask to respect my privacy and my family, and thank you for their support,” said Escalante.
Perth Today reported that the businessman had reached $100,000 bail and was subject to a stay in Western Australia and a restraining order to contact those identified as potential victims.
VGW spoke in light of the Escalante allegations
A VGW spokesperson stated to ReadWrite that “We are aware of the serious allegations made against Mr Escalante. These have nothing to do with VGW and are of a personal nature. However, we can confirm that Mr Escalante will be stepping down from his role as CEO and Executive Chairman of VGW.”
The company made a conscious decision to separate Escalante from the day-to-day operations of VGW. It is likely to remain a case until the senior executive reappears at Perth Magistrates Court on February 26, 2026.
“In the interim, we have installed experienced leadership from our current executive team to take on those responsibilities and it remains business as usual for VGW. The company takes any allegations of this nature very seriously. Since this is a private matter and remains before the courts, we cannot comment further,” concluded the spokesperson.
Featured image: VGW Facebook.
The post Gambling billionaire Laurence Escalante charged with assault, robbery, and drug offenses first appeared in ReadWrite.
