Evolution has requested permission to add Playtech as an additional defendant in the supplier’s ongoing defamation lawsuit.
The supplier wrote to the Superior Court of New Jersey to add Playtech to its case against Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP and Israeli intelligence firm Black Cube.
Evolution alleges that Playtech, as well as Juda Engelmayer and other defendants, played a role in “commissioning and disseminating highly inflammatory and defamatory reports about Evolution’s business practices in an effort to harm its reputation”.
The latest filing also accuses Playtech of trade libel, fraud and racketeering, in addition to withholding information about its conduct from shareholders.
An Evolution statement read: “It continues to be disappointing that a direct competitor would go to such extreme lengths to orchestrate a covert campaign designed to harm our business and avoid competing fairly in the marketplace.
“We are formally naming Playtech in our lawsuit because the facts are clear: Playtech hired Black Cube to create and publicise a defamatory report designed to harm Evolution, all while misleading the market and lying to investors about its role. For nearly four years, Playtech spent millions of dollars in legal fees to conceal its involvement in this smear campaign and avoid accountability.
“In addition to exposing Playtech’s role as the plan’s original architect, the litigation has uncovered disturbing details of its scheme, including the lucrative success fees Playtech paid Black Cube to craft a preordained narrative about Evolution and advance allegations that lack supporting evidence.
“It has also become clear that Black Cube and its director, Avi Yanus, systematically concealed evidence from regulators and the public that did not support Playtech’s desired false narrative.”
Allegations of purported misconduct
The dispute goes back to October 2025, when Evolution declared Playtech was responsible for commissioning an investigation by Black Cube which contained “highly inflammatory and knowingly false claims”.
The allegation claimed Playtech paid more than £1.8m for the report, which was circulated to media and regulators by the law firm representing Black Cube – Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP – in November 2021.
Evolution also alleged Calcagni & Kanefsky received $33,700 for its part in proceedings.
Playtech’s report stated that Evolution’s games were accessible in black markets such as Iran, Syria and Sudan.
Evolution also said Black Cube’s investigation included secret recordings of at least five former or current Evolution board members and employees.
Evolution officially filed the defamation lawsuit against the law firm and other parties behind the report in December 2025 with the Superior Court of New Jersey.
The suit was for defamation, trade libel, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, fraud and other illegal conduct.
In response, Playtech stood by its decision to compile the report, insisting it was motivated by “credible and repeated concerns raised by operators, suppliers and regulators about Evolution’s activities in prohibited and sanctioned markets”.
Evolution’s statement continued: “From its very inception, Playtech and Black Cube’s agreement outlined plans to concoct, disseminate and publish a defamatory report about Evolution’s business in order to get regulators to open an investigation and ultimately revoke Evolution’s gaming licence.
“Black Cube’s report, which was leaked to the media by Juda Engelmayer and his firm, HeraldPR, in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars, was determined by two state gaming regulators in the US to lack evidentiary support. However, amplification of the report by Engelmayer and other defendants continued to cause significant reputational and financial harm to Evolution.
“Any rationale Playtech offers for commissioning the defamatory report is belied by the £1.5m in success fees Playtech promised Black Cube if its investigation yielded the results Playtech sought and the extraordinary measures Playtech undertook to conceal its identity.
“Playtech and Black Cube continue to manufacture false allegations of purported misconduct throughout these legal proceedings, and we expect that to continue. It should not go unnoticed that Playtech currently operates or has operated in some of the very markets it accuses Evolution of operating in illegally.
“Playtech was even sanctioned in 2025 for compliance lapses related to some of its operations in Sweden. These accusations should be seen for what they actually are: Playtech’s ongoing attempts to undermine competition by harming Evolution’s business and reputation.”
Evolution’s statement concluded: “We are confident in our rigorous compliance policies and practices, and that the facts in this case are on our side. We look forward to holding Playtech, Black Cube and all their accomplices accountable for the harm they have caused.”
Following Evolution’s announcement, Playtech reiterated that it will “defend itself vigorously” against the allegations.
A Playtech statement said: “Playtech has been awaiting this development since Evolution’s public statement on 21 October 2025 and considers Evolution’s claims to be baseless and without merit.
“As previously announced, Playtech stands by both the decision to commission the report at the centre of Evolution’s claims, and the validity of its findings. Evolution continues to seek to avoid legitimate scrutiny rather than addressing longstanding questions about its own conduct, including its decision to supply operators in both illegal and sanctioned markets and to support unlicensed operators in regulated markets.
“Playtech welcomes court and regulatory examination of the report and its findings and, importantly, the opportunity to be involved in the discovery process including to question Evolution’s employees, executives and officers in court. The company is very confident based on evidence it has, including recent additional evidence, that these proceedings will confirm the credibility and legitimacy of the report and the importance of the issues it seeks to address.
“Playtech will defend itself vigorously against Evolution’s claims and will continue to act in the best interests of industry operators, suppliers and regulators as well as its shareholders.”
Playtech shares fell 5% in early trading in London before rebounding to 391p, at the time of writing.
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The post Evolution adds Playtech as defendant in Black Cube libel lawsuit first appeared on EGR Intel.
Stockholm-listed supplier requests permission from Superior Court of New Jersey to add rival firm to defamation case, in the latest twist of the ongoing saga
The post Evolution adds Playtech as defendant in Black Cube libel lawsuit first appeared on EGR Intel.