OUR
Mission
To be the biggest gaming company in the world.
WHO
WE ARE
VGW is an interactive entertainment company, harnessing technology and creativity to deliver world-class, free-to-play online social games. Our high-quality, acclaimed brands include Chumba Casino, Global Poker and LuckyLand Slots, which are enjoyed by millions of players in North America.
Our games are based on a freemium model, meaning they are available to play at no cost, but include optional in-game purchases to enhance gameplay. We also offer sweepstakes promotions where players can collect free entries for the chance to win real-world prizes.
At VGW, one of our core values is “our players come first”. This means always striving to deliver a safe, responsible and positive player experience.
Our Brands
Our brands provide an exciting casino-style experience, where players can have loads of fun playing games for free.
North America’s leading online social casino, Chumba Casino, has been bringing fun and entertainment to players for over a decade.
LuckyLand Slots takes players on a magical journey filled with thrilling game themes, electrifying features, tournaments, and plenty of surprises around every corner.
Global Poker offers the ultimate online social poker experience for players of all levels in North America.
OUR VALUES
Our players are our number one priority. We strive to deliver a safe and positive player experience that is focused on fun and entertainment. We are serious about our responsibility to our players and responsible social gameplay is embedded in our culture.
Our founder started VGW with a passion for games; a passion that continues to underpin everything we do. We harness this dedication, combining it with technology and creativity to keep VGW at the cutting edge of online social games, providing a free-to-play experience our players love.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of honesty, respect and integrity and drive accountability in everything we do. As responsible corporate citizens we have stringent policies and player protections covering responsible social gameplay, data security, anti-money laundering, and fraud.
Our success is a team effort. At VGW, we collaborate, support and motivate each other to work toward our mission of becoming the biggest gaming company in the world. By focusing on the creation of amazing interactive experiences for our players, we aim to empower everybody to achieve their goals and contribute to our shared success.
OUR People
At VGW, we’re more than just a team. We’re a diverse and inclusive group of individuals, each playing a vital role in our success. Our core values are clear and strong; we win together, do what’s right, put our players first and are powered by passion. We believe in our people and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, inspired, and supported.
Interested in joining the team?
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Laurence Escalante
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Laurence Escalante
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Laurence is a gaming and technology entrepreneur, investor and executive with a strong background of innovation and growing companies.
His significant experience in the games industry includes founding VGW in 2010, where he has served as Managing Director since, overseeing its strong growth from a start-up to one of the world’s leading online social games companies.
Prior to this, he studied Economics and Actuarial Studies at university before ultimately attaining a financial planning qualification and spending 10 years in the industry as a technical and investment specialist.
Tim Moore-Barton
Chief Operating Officer
Tim Moore-Barton
Chief Operating Officer
Tim’s 20-plus years experience in the IT and gaming industries brings a wealth of strategic planning and senior leadership expertise to VGW.
With a deep focus on progressive leadership, Tim’s extensive experience in the successful execution of IPO scale-up and turnarounds in the gaming industry have positioned him as a proven and effective leader.
Tim was appointed VGW’s Chief Operating Officer in mid-2024 after three years as the Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to this, he spent more than a decade at Betfair ANZ, including six years as CEO. He also served as a consultant at Deloitte Consulting, where he led a team of analysts and third party resources across a range of IT and consumer strategy projects.
Tim holds a Masters in Engineering from Oxford University, and has studied Mergers and Acquisitions at Columbia Business School.
Yvette Mandanas
Chief People Officer
Yvette Mandanas
Chief People Officer
Yvette leads all aspects of people and culture at VGW, ensuring the company attracts, retains and develops top talent whilst fostering an environment that drives high performance, innovation and engagement. Yvette is responsible for shaping and executing the company’s global people strategy to support business growth, operational scale and cultural excellence.
Yvette’s experience as a strategic and operationally focused people and culture leader spans over 20 years in high growth, global environments in industries including technology, consulting, SaaS, fintech and banking.
Having led teams across Australia, APAC, USA and Europe, Yvette brings a global perspective to scaling businesses through transformation, fostering high performance cultures, and elevating functional efficacy.
Angus Tiet
Chief Financial Officer
Angus Tiet
Chief Financial Officer
Angus brings extensive senior leadership expertise in strategy, finance, operations, and mergers and acquisitions across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.
Angus also has a strong understanding of the social gaming sector, with a proven track record of managing finance functions, leading strategic initiatives, and driving growth and key acquisitions in the industry.
During his nine years at Aristocrat Leisure, Angus held the position of Chief Financial Officer of Aristocrat Digital (Social Gaming) and Chief of Staff for the broader Aristocrat Group in the US. He also previously served as Chief of Strategy and New Ventures at Tabcorp and, more recently, as a Director at Dabble.
Angus is a qualified Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Laws, a Bachelor of Business, and an Executive Master of Business Administration.
Mats Johnson
Executive Director & Chief Marketing Officer
Mats Johnson
Executive Director & Chief Marketing Officer
Mats brings 20-plus years of expertise as a senior technology and online gaming executive in the digital and gaming sector.
Mats has extensive experience in launching and scaling both public and private online businesses globally. With a strong leadership background in large teams, Mats’ global expansion strategies have driven substantial and profitable growth in both new and established markets.
Mats previously held senior roles at online gaming companies including Centrebet, Coral Eurobet, Playsafe and Expekt. He has been a VGW board director since 2015.
Patrick Di Loreto
Chief Technology Officer
Patrick Di Loreto
Chief Technology Officer
Bringing more than two decades’ experience in the software engineering sector, Patrick’s career includes senior executive roles in gaming entertainment organisations and IT services globally.
Joining VGW in 2022 as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Patrick offers extensive expertise in leveraging technology to support innovative platform creation and new business opportunities.
Prior to VGW, Patrick held senior executive roles as Group CTO at Entain and CTO at Addison Global, and senior head engineering roles at William Hill. He has also worked on several successful developments and deliveries for IBM in the research and development lab in Europe, and at Reply.
Patrick holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Software Engineering from the University of Bologna.
OUR STORY
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