A gambling billionaire accused of family violence, assault, burglary and drug offences plans to travel across Australia to visit his mother after his bail was varied.
Perth-based entrepreneur Laurence Emmanuel Escalante, whose Virtual Gaming Worlds company includes virtual slot machines, poker games and online casinos, allegedly assaulted a woman at her home on Australia Day.
The 44-year-old briefly appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday, when his bail was temporarily relaxed from July 19 to 29 to visit his mother in Sydney.
Escalante will be permitted to leave WA during the dates and won't have to report to a police station, which is normally required every week.
Worth $4.5 billion, according to the Australian Financial Review's most recent Rich List, Escalante was tight-lipped as he walked from court flanked by a minder amid a flurry of questions from reporters.
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Sign upPolice allege Escalante unlawfully entered the home of a woman known to him on January 26 and assaulted her.
He is also accused of stealing property from the residence and damaging it.
Other charges relate to alleged family violence incidents between June 2025 and January.
Police executed a search warrant at a property on January 29 and allegedly found a trafficable quantity of illicit drugs.
All told, Escalante is facing 17 charges, including assault, burglary, persistently engaging in family violence, assault, stealing, criminal damage and multiple drug offences.
Escalante stepped down as Virtual Gaming Worlds' chief executive and chairman on January 30, with a company press release stating he would take a leave of absence.
The tech billionaire will return to court on August 7.
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