About
Laurence established Lance East Office in 2021 to help manage and grow his wealth, along with his philanthropy, after considerable success as an entrepreneur.
It began in late 1981 in the northern Western Australian town of Port Hedland where Laurence was born after his parents migrated from the Philippines. The family ultimately settled in Perth where Laurence’s father, Lorenzo, furthered his IT career that spanned several decades at some of Australia’s largest corporations. After leaving school, Laurence studied Economics and Actuarial Studies at Macquarie University in Sydney and gained experience as a technical specialist in investment advisory, superannuation, taxation and financial planning over several years.
Spotting an opportunity, Laurence in 2010 founded tech and online social games company Virtual Gaming Worlds. With the launch of the hit social casino Chumba Casino in 2012, VGW began its fast growth trajectory and added brands Global Poker and Luckyland Slots in 2016 and 2018, respectively. While it hasn’t been without some challenges – like most companies as they scale – VGW has become one of Australia’s fastest growing and most profitable tech companies with annual revenue north of $3 billion and more than 1000 team members in offices around the world.
During this time, Laurence has driven multiple innovations in online social games and he remains VGW’s majority shareholder, CEO and Executive Chairman. VGW, a fully audited public unlisted company, aspires to have the largest and most loyal customers in its core market of North America, which has an enormous total addressable market.
Alongside scaling VGW, Laurence has also been an angel investor, leading several early-stage funding rounds. Backing other entrepreneurs is one of his core passions, along with family and his heritage, technology and founding businesses. He also has a passion for motor sports, having one of Australia’s leading supercar collections and investing in businesses in the industry.
This is where Lance East Office comes in.
Our mission is to help protect and grow existing assets, while facilitating and advising on new opportunities to generate long-term returns. This may range from backing other entrepreneurs to investing in asset classes across global markets. It also includes supporting Laurence’s philanthropy and giving back to local communities and charitable causes.
It began in late 1981 in the northern Western Australian town of Port Hedland where Laurence was born after his parents migrated from the Philippines. The family ultimately settled in Perth where Laurence’s father, Lorenzo, furthered his IT career that spanned several decades at some of Australia’s largest corporations. After leaving school, Laurence studied Economics and Actuarial Studies at Macquarie University in Sydney and gained experience as a technical specialist in investment advisory, superannuation, taxation and financial planning over several years.
Spotting an opportunity, Laurence in 2010 founded tech and online social games company Virtual Gaming Worlds. With the launch of the hit social casino Chumba Casino in 2012, VGW began its fast growth trajectory and added brands Global Poker and Luckyland Slots in 2016 and 2018, respectively. While it hasn’t been without some challenges – like most companies as they scale – VGW has become one of Australia’s fastest growing and most profitable tech companies with annual revenue north of $3 billion and more than 1000 team members in offices around the world.
During this time, Laurence has driven multiple innovations in online social games and he remains VGW’s majority shareholder, CEO and Executive Chairman. VGW, a fully audited public unlisted company, aspires to have the largest and most loyal customers in its core market of North America, which has an enormous total addressable market.
Alongside scaling VGW, Laurence has also been an angel investor, leading several early-stage funding rounds. Backing other entrepreneurs is one of his core passions, along with family and his heritage, technology and founding businesses. He also has a passion for motor sports, having one of Australia’s leading supercar collections and investing in businesses in the industry.
This is where Lance East Office comes in.
Our mission is to help protect and grow existing assets, while facilitating and advising on new opportunities to generate long-term returns. This may range from backing other entrepreneurs to investing in asset classes across global markets. It also includes supporting Laurence’s philanthropy and giving back to local communities and charitable causes.
Laurence Escalante, CEO at VGW