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, 03:17h.
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.
Australian media reported that the incident occurred around 9 PM when the driver was attempting to park one of the ultra-exclusive luxury cars. What should have been a simple maneuver became unglued when he rammed into the back of another vehicle.
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 Lambo made of the series and each is worth around $900,000.
Not Mario Andretti
The video that surfaced following the incident shows a stunned valet evaluating the damage, and probably his future. 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 doing in the car?”
The video also captured the valet saying that he mixed up the brake and gas pedals. “I was trying to park it just like everybody else,” he exclaimed. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
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. It appears to be raised slightly in the air from how it might normally sit.
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 time. 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 the company’s 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.
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Source: casino.org
