Crown Resorts Valet Damages Two Lambos Worth $1.8 Million Owned By Gaming Billionaire

Posted on: February 10, 2023, 03:17h. 

Last updated on: February 10, 2023, 12:55h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

A valet at Crown Resorts’ Crown Perth casino might want to consider a new career path. The unidentified employee caused damage to two Lamborghinis Wednesday night, both of which belonged to gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante.

Laurence Escalante's Lamborghinis
Laurence Escalante’s Lamborghinis on display. A valet at Crown Perth in Australia damaged both when he crashed one into the other. (Image: West Australia)

Australian media reports the incident occurred around 9 p.m. when the driver attempted to park one of the exclusive luxury cars. What should have been a simple maneuver became unglued when he rammed into the back of another vehicle.

In a video that surfaced following the incident, a stunned valet evaluates the damage and states he mixed up the brake and gas pedals. Comments in the background of the video, captured by jiu-jitsu champion Craig Jones, include things like, “No way … what are you doing, brah?” and “What have you (been) doing in the car?”

Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Both are Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, one teal (the one the driver used as a ramrod) and the other purple. They’re among the last cars Lamborghini made of the series, and each is worth around $900K.

Big Bill for Crown

A photo of the impact shows substantial damage to both cars. The teal Lambo’s hood and right front quarter panel are folded and wedged under the engine compartment of the purple Lambo.

Crown already has enough problems on its hands without having to worry about major vehicle repair bills, but it’s on the case. It said in a statement that it is assessing the situation, which probably means waiting for repair estimates to come in.

Escalante is waiting, as well. A representative for the gaming tycoon told The West Australian that “Crown is working positively with us to fix the cars and put this behind us all.”

Escalante Climbs Into the Gaming Driving Seat

Escalante made his fortune in the gaming industry. He’s the man behind Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW), a social online gaming company out of Australia. Among its platforms are Chumba Casino and Luckylands Slots, which have helped make him a billionaire.

Escalante, who is known to flaunt diamond-encrusted Rolexes and private jet vacations, made his debut on Australia’s Richest 250 list for the first time last year. He has an estimated wealth of AUD2.15 billion (US$1.49 billion), much of which he made as COVID-19 forced more people to look for online entertainment.

VGW maintains its headquarters in Perth, Australia, but its fortunes mostly come from abroad. Now 13 years old, the social games company earned over AUD200 million (US$139 million) in profit last year.

However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. As with many social casinos, VGW has become the subject of lawsuits over its modality. The free-to-play casinos also offer a mechanism through which players can purchase more tokens to play, and this has some people equating them to gambling.

Escalante and VGW had to answer to a lawsuit in Kentucky over that method last year. A user sued in September, arguing that she lost over $7,000 before the suit gained class-action status. VGW ultimately settled, agreeing to pay $11.75 million.