Superannuation wealth tax ‘a threat' to funding of new unicorns as Escalante moves to mop up VGW

West Australian

a day ago

The Federal Government's proposed wealth tax on superannuation has been described as a threat to the emergence of unicorns such as Laurence Escalante's WA-based gaming group Virtual Gaming Worlds.
With many investors funding plays such as VGW from their self-managed super funds, the earnings hit on super balances over $3 million is seen potentially depriving start-ups of a key source of development capital.
Mr Escalante used millions of dollars raised from hundreds of small and high-net worth backers to build VGW into one of Australia's fastest-growing and most profitable private companies.
On Monday, the former financial planner announced a $960m bid to take full ownership of VGW by buying out the 30 per cent of the public, unlisted company he does not own at $5.05 a share from some 700 minority shareholders.
One of his early supporters, an investor who is sitting on tens of millions of dollars of profit on VGW shares bought for less than 10 cents apiece, said the Government was 'off the mark' with its proposed move on wealthy superannuants.
He and other big minority investors in VGW are mainly invested in the group via their self-managed super funds.
'This Government wants to tax quite heavily the people in the super funds, and that's where these small companies get started,' said the investor, who asked not to be identified.
'There won't be as much money available for start-ups.'
Mr Escalante's proposed buyout, launched through his Lance East family office, comes as VGW confronts a major threat to its lucrative operating model from a US regulatory crackdown that is reining in its runaway profits.
The group has raked in billions of dollars by using loopholes in US laws banning internet gambling to deliver online 'social' casinos and poker machine games such as Chumba Casino, LuckyLand slots and Global Poker.
Under its sweepstakes model, customers buy virtual gold coins that allow them to play VGW's games but have no outside value. However, buyers of most gold coin packages also get bonus 'sweeps coins', which as well as being used to play the games are redeemable for cash in most of the US and Canada.
US States are now moving against the group, claiming the games are illegal because they are generating cash winnings for players. Since December, VGW has quit Nevada and Delaware, and flagged its withdrawal from New York, in the face of the pushback.
The regulatory crackdown is already hurting earnings, with VGW warning of a 15 per cent hit to its second-half profit.
Mr Escalante's opulent lifestyle — he has translated his wealth into a private jet, super cars, luxury boats and swanky properties — and showy and sometimes angry social media posts had already raised doubts about whether he could win over the big institutional shareholders needed to support a stock market listing in the US or Australia.
But it is the threat to what has been an enormously successful operating model that has most likely finished off lingering hopes of a float for investors who have been limited to selling stock via an illiquid over-the-counter trading platform.
'It's the model ... the likelihood of regulatory action, which are we starting to see,' a prominent Perth businessman said.
While Mr Escalante's 'behaviour and lifestyle doesn't help', despite global stock markets being awash with such 'characters', a listing would have more chance with a 'safer and less vulnerable business model', the businessman said.
There is no doubt that Mr Escalante, who founded VGW as a 28-year-old in 2010, has delivered in spades for his investors.
The company paid its first dividend — a modest $2.8 million — in early 2019 off the back of a $19.8m profit and $179m of revenue for the December half-year in 2018.
COVID-19 lit a fire under the business as uptake of its games in the US soared during lockdowns.
Over the past four years, VGW has returned more than $1.3b to its shareholders, with Mr Escalante pocketing the lion's share due to his majority ownership.
He will receive a further $200m from the $286m of interim and special dividends set to be paid for the 2025 financial year.
VGW's two independent directors have determined that the offer price, which will be reduced by the dividends, recognises the company's value 'after taking into account its medium and longer-term potential and the ongoing risks relating to VGW's business and operating environment'.
Mr Escalante's offer was endorsed after an earlier pitch of $3.50 of $4 a share was rejected as too low.
However, it still may not be enough to get the buyout across the line, with some long-standing shareholders still reckoning VGW is worth more and disputing the inclusion of the proposed dividends in the offer price.
'A few of the shareholders who have got pretty good holdings feel as if it's an unreasonable offer, they feel as if it should be more,' the VGW shareholder said.
The buyout documents are expected to be sent to shareholders by early July, with a vote to be called in August.
Mr Escalante was not available for comment this week. Disclosing the buyout offer on Monday, he said it represented 'an efficient opportunity to allow those shareholders looking to monetise their investment for cash to do so'.