Evolution Identifies Playtech as Black Cube Client Behind 2021 Defamatory Campaign

Evolution AB issued a statement expressing concern over the revelation that a competitor hired Black Cube and paid over £1.8 million to fabricate a report designed to cause substantial harm. The report was submitted to regulators by Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP, a law firm representing Black Cube, and was leaked to the media.

Two U.S. state regulators determined the report lacked evidentiary support. The New Jersey Superior Court also found the report to be untruthful and lacking veracity. Despite these findings, the report’s circulation has caused multi-billion dollar damage to Evolution.

Black Cube’s Investigation Methods

Black Cube has a documented history of using deceptive tactics to influence public opinion through targeted campaigns. During its investigation, Black Cube initiated meetings with current and former Evolution employees and board members under false pretenses while secretly recording interactions. The firm used disguises and falsified identities, selectively editing recordings to create a false narrative. The subjects of Black Cube’s report later disavowed the allegations and stated the report misrepresented their comments.

Evolution filed suit against the law firm and its then-anonymous co-conspirators for defamation, trade libel, and other illegal conduct in 2021. After years of litigation, the New Jersey Superior Court judge determined that Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP and its clients “prepared and disseminated false allegations about [Evolution’s] business practices that were designed to harm, and did harm, [Evolution’s] business,” ordering defendants to reveal the parties responsible for the report.

While Playtech has been identified after years of concealing its involvement, Black Cube continues to withhold relevant information despite court discovery orders. Evolution stated it will continue holding Black Cube, Playtech, and other parties accountable for their misconduct.

Timeline of Events

Playtech Hires Black Cube

In December 2020, Playtech hired Black Cube to produce a report accusing Evolution of regulatory violations. High-level Playtech executives, including CEO Mor Weizer, communicated with Black Cube regarding the investigation and report.

The Report

Throughout 2021, Black Cube conducted an investigation involving secretly recorded conversations with at least five current or former Evolution employees and board members using false personas and disguises. Black Cube edited videos and audio clips, selecting portions to manufacture a misleading report making false allegations about Evolution.

In November 2021, Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP submitted the Black Cube report to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The law firm received approximately $33,700 for reviewing the report, drafting a cover letter reiterating the false claims, and sending it to Evolution’s regulators.

On November 16, 2021, Bloomberg published an article detailing the allegations, which was circulated to several media outlets, resulting in additional articles based on Bloomberg’s reporting.

On November 26, 2021, Black Cube paid $10,000 to HeraldPR, a New York-based PR firm founded by Juda S. Engelmayer, who has been described by The New York Times as a “go-to guy among a particular subset of alleged fraudsters and predators.”

Evolution’s Legal Response

On December 14, 2021, Evolution filed a lawsuit against Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP and the then-anonymous parties behind the report for defamation, trade libel, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, fraud, and other illegal conduct in the Superior Court of New Jersey. The case remains ongoing.

For years following the lawsuit’s filing, Playtech and Black Cube took extensive measures to conceal their roles in commissioning and creating the report, asserting privilege and immunity.

In February 2024, the NJDGE and PGCB closed their investigations into Evolution without corrective action. The NJDGE stated they found “no evidence … showing that Evolution took illegal bets from New Jersey, another state, or any other prohibited jurisdiction,” and “no evidence of inappropriate payments to Evolution by its clients or that Evolution provided devices for customers to illegally use their content.”

On February 28, 2025, the New Jersey Superior Court directed Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP to disclose its anonymous client’s identity and concluded, “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.”

In April 2025, Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP revealed Black Cube’s identity but claimed ignorance of the client that commissioned Black Cube to create the report.

On June 11, 2025, Evolution amended its complaint, adding Black Cube as a defendant for its role in engineering, preparing, and disseminating the defamatory report.

On August 11, 2025, Black Cube’s founder and director, Avi Yanus, filed an affidavit claiming to present new evidence to legitimize the discredited 2021 report. This evidence was collected using the same methods, including false personas and pretenses to secretly record a former Evolution employee, selectively using portions of the recording to support a predetermined narrative. Bloomberg published another story quoting directly from Black Cube’s affidavit.

In September 2025, the New Jersey Superior Court ordered Black Cube to reveal its client’s identity. The court found Black Cube’s 2021 report to be “objectively baseless,” stating that “no reasonable litigant could expect success on the merits.” The judge also described Black Cube’s August 2025 affidavit as “self-serving.”

Black Cube attempted to appeal the court order to the New Jersey Appellate Division and sought emergency review by the New Jersey Supreme Court, which denied the request.

About Evolution AB:

Evolution AB (publ) develops, produces, markets and licenses fully integrated B2B online casino solutions to gaming operators. Since its inception in 2006, Evolution has developed into a leading B2B provider with 800+ operators among its customers. The group currently employs 22,000+ people in studios across Europe, Asia, North and South America. The parent company is based in Sweden and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm with the ticker EVO. Evolution is licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority under license MGA/B2B/187/2010. Evolution is also licensed and regulated in many other jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Romania, South Africa, and others. For more information, visit http://www.evolution.com.

Source: Evolution AB