Perth-based gaming technology company VGW has confirmed that founder Laurence Escalante has resigned as CEO and executive chairman effective immediately, ending a leave of absence that began in January.
Escalante stepped back from the business earlier this year after the company became aware of charges brought against him by WA Police, which VGW described as unrelated to the business and of a personal nature. He appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court and was charged with a series of offences, including aggravated home burglary, aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm, criminal damage, and persistently engaging in family violence, alongside multiple counts of possessing prohibited drugs with intent to sell or supply. The charge count increased at subsequent court appearances, and his legal counsel has indicated that he intends to contest the allegations.
Senior executive Mats Johnson, who was appointed acting CEO when Escalante took leave in January, will continue in the role while VGW conducts a global search for a permanent replacement. Johnson has more than ten years at the company, having served as a director and chief marketing officer before moving into the president role in late 2025.
In its statement, VGW said Escalante had decided to resign to focus on personal matters, as well as his private business, investing, and philanthropic interests at his family office.
Escalante founded VGW in 2010 and built it into a global social gaming operator, running brands including Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Casino, with a customer base concentrated in the United States. The Australian Financial Review has estimated his personal wealth at $4.5 billion. Last August, he returned the company to full private ownership through a buyout of the minority stake he did not already control, in a deal valuing VGW at more than $3 billion.
“Laurence started VGW 16 years ago and grew it from an innovative idea in Perth into one of Australia’s largest unlisted businesses and overseas success stories,” Johnson said. “He pioneered a new social gaming category that is now a major market in the US, the largest consumer and gaming market in the world, delivering world-class entertainment to millions of players.”
The company employs around 1,300 staff. VGW has also faced regulatory pressure across several US states over its dual-currency sweepstakes model, withdrawing those products from more than ten jurisdictions and receiving cease-and-desist orders from regulators in Maryland.
