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Playtech Revealed as Hidden Client in Defamation Case Targeting Evolution

Evolution AB has confirmed that Playtech Software Limited, a subsidiary of Playtech Plc, was the entity responsible for commissioning the controversial investigation firm Black Cube to produce and circulate a defamatory report against the company in 2021. The revelation came through court discovery and has shed light on what Evolution describes as an orchestrated smear campaign designed to damage its business reputation for competitive gain.

Discovery Identifies Playtech as Black Cube’s Client

In a statement issued on October 21, 2025, Evolution expressed deep concern that a direct competitor had “gone to such extraordinary lengths to damage our business and reputation by hiring Black Cube and paying them over 1.8 million GBP to fabricate a report they knew would have extremely harmful repercussions.”

The report, which was sent to U.S. regulators by Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP and leaked to the media, was later discredited by both the New Jersey Superior Court and two state regulators who found it lacked evidentiary support. Despite those findings, Evolution reported that the document caused multi-billion-dollar damage to its global operations.

The company described Black Cube’s methods as “highly unethical,” including deceptive meetings with current and former employees under false pretenses, the use of disguises and fake identities, and selectively edited recordings that distorted comments and misrepresented facts. Those who appeared in the report publicly denied the allegations, stating that their remarks had been manipulated.

Legal Proceedings and Court Findings

Evolution initiated legal action in December 2021 against Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP and anonymous parties later identified as Black Cube and Playtech, citing defamation, trade libel, and other unlawful conduct. The New Jersey Superior Court determined that the law firm, its client, and the report’s sponsor “prepared and disseminated false allegations about [Evolution’s] business practices that were designed to harm, and did harm, [Evolution’s] business.” The ruling required the defendants to disclose the identities of all parties involved.

Over time, the court compelled Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP to reveal Black Cube’s role in producing the report. In February 2025, the judge concluded that “the report is not truthful and Plaintiffs[] suffered damages and continue[] to suffer damages in the casino gaming industry as a direct result of [Defendants’] actions.”

However, Black Cube initially withheld the identity of its client. It was not until September 2025 that the court ordered the firm to disclose the full details, stating the report was “objectively baseless” and that “no reasonable litigant could expect success on the merits.”

Timeline and Current Developments

The events leading up to the disclosure trace back to December 2020, when Playtech allegedly hired Black Cube to create the damaging report that accused Evolution of regulatory breaches. Throughout 2021, the investigation involved clandestine recordings and falsified interactions. In November 2021, the report reached U.S. gaming regulators and was subsequently publicized by Bloomberg, leading to widespread but unfounded media coverage.

Evolution’s lawsuit has remained active since December 2021. After Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP confirmed Black Cube’s involvement in April 2025, Evolution amended its complaint to include the firm as a defendant. In June 2025, Black Cube founder Avi Yanus submitted an affidavit containing what he claimed was new supporting evidence, but the court later characterized this as “self-serving.”

Attempts by Black Cube to block the order to reveal its client were denied by both the New Jersey Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court. The disclosure of Playtech’s identity now allows Evolution to move forward with an amended lawsuit that will name the company directly as a defendant.

Evolution stated it “will continue to hold Black Cube, Playtech, and all the other players in this defamatory scheme responsible for their misconduct,” adding confidence in its legal position and intent to pursue accountability through 2026.

Source:

Playtech Unmasked as Black Cube Client Behind Defamatory Smear Campaign Targeting Evolution AB, news.cision.com, October 21, 2025.