Who owns Chumba Casino?
Chumba Casino is owned by VGW Holdings, a private company based in Perth, Australia. Founder Laurence Escalante took full ownership in 2025 in a deal valued at about A$3.2bn. Chumba is a sweepstakes casino with a dual-currency model and holds no gambling licence. Sweeps play has ended in a number of US states.
| Ultimate owner | VGW Holdings (private (Laurence Escalante via family office; minority buyout approved 2025)) |
|---|---|
| Operating company | VGW Holdings Limited, AU |
| Products | Casino |
| Website | chumbacasino.com |
| Sister casinos | 2 |
| Fines and actions | 5 |
| Owner proof | verified |
| Last checked | 15 Oct 2026 |
In numbers
- VGW Holdings Limited also runs 2 other gambling brands under the same company.
- VGW Holdings owns 3 brand families with 3 websites in our data.
- 5 regulator fines against the owner since 2024, about €7.4 million in total (converted to euros).
Who is behind it
VGW was founded in 2010 and built the dual-currency sweepstakes model. Its brands are Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker. VGW left Canada in 2025. Sweeps play has ended in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, West Virginia, California and other states; Gold Coin play continues there.
License and what it means for you
Chumba has no gambling licence. No gambling regulator licenses the site, so the player protections of a licensed casino do not apply. Several US states say the model is illegal gambling.
Sister sites
VGW runs 2 other brands in our data: LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker.
Fines and regulator actions
Our data lists 5 actions. In September 2026 VGW agreed an $8 million settlement with the New York Attorney General over illegal online gambling in New York from 2012 to 2025, with no admission. Florida's Attorney General sued VGW and payment processors in August 2026, and Kentucky's Attorney General sued in June 2026. Michigan sent a cease-and-desist letter over LuckyLand in December 2023, and VGW withdrew. The claims in the lawsuits are not proven.
About VGW Holdings
Perth-based company that built the dual-currency sweepstakes model with Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker. Founder Laurence Escalante took full ownership in 2025 (deal valued at about A$3.2bn). It has pulled sweeps play from a growing list of states and left Canada in 2025, and faces state lawsuits.
Headquarters: AU · Founded: 2010 · Ownership: private (Laurence Escalante via family office; minority buyout approved 2025)
How we know, and what we could not confirm
How we know: Flagship sweeps casino; sweeps play ended in NY, NJ, CT, DE, MI, WV, CA and others; Gold Coin play kept. Sweepstakes model; no gambling licence.
- We have no licence record for this site.
- We have no company registration number for VGW Holdings Limited.
2 sister casinos
Same owner often means the same terms, the same support team and the same payout rules. A self-exclusion at one brand may not cover its sister sites.
Everything VGW Holdings owns, with fines and sources →
Regulator fines
| Date | Company | Regulator / court | Amount | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09 | VGW Holdings | New York Attorney General | USD 8,000,000 | Settlement (disgorgement, penalties, costs) over illegal online gambling in NY 2012-2025; no admission; Gold Coin play only going forward. source |
| 2026-08-19 | VGW and payment processors | Florida Attorney General | — | Lawsuit alleging illegal gambling and deceptive trade practices; seeks penalties, restitution and an injunction. source |
| 2026-06-17 | VGW | Kentucky Attorney General | — | Lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court alleging the dual-currency model is illegal gambling; seeks to stop operations. source |
| 2025-06-06 | VGW (Chumba, LuckyLand, Global Poker) | New York Attorney General | — | Among 26 sweepstakes sites told to stop; all agreed to end sweeps coin sales in NY. source |
| 2024-01-18 | VGW (LuckyLand) | MI MGCB | — | Cease-and-desist (letter dated Dec 5 2023) for offering unlicensed online gambling in Michigan; VGW withdrew. source |
Ratings elsewhere
- Trustpilot: read the reviews there
Ratings from other websites, with their source. We do not copy their reviews, and they do not change our facts.
Questions and answers
Who owns Chumba Casino?
VGW Holdings, which founder Laurence Escalante fully owns since 2025.
Is Chumba Casino licensed?
No. It runs as a sweepstakes site without a gambling licence.
Has Chumba Casino faced legal action?
Yes. VGW paid $8 million in a New York settlement in 2026, and Florida and Kentucky have sued.
Sources
- https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-stops-illegal-online-sweepstakes-casinos
- https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-8-million-leading-operator-illegal-online
- https://www.wvxu.org/2026-06-17/kentucky-attorney-general-sues-prediction-markets-online-sweepstakes
- https://casinobeats.com/2025/11/07/vgw-chumba-luckyland-end-sweeps-west-virginia/
- https://chumbacasino.com/terms-conditions
- https://sbcamericas.com/2025/08/01/escalante-bid-vgw-approved-shareholders/
Last checked 15 Oct 2026. How we check facts. Gambling can be addictive. Help: BeGambleAware, GamStop, Gamblers Anonymous.