Playtech has been revealed as the company that paid £1.8m to private intelligence company Black Cube to produce the infamous 2021 report on Evolution’s prohibited markets, according to the NEXT.io report.
The disclosure resolves one of the longest-running mysteries in iGaming and could expose Playtech, led by CEO Mor Weizer, to billions in potential legal liability as Evolution pursues damages.
The revelation comes after nearly five years of litigation in New Jersey, during which Evolution sought to identify both the report’s authors and the entity that commissioned it. Earlier this month, the court granted Evolution final victory in the discovery phase, following multiple appearances before the state Supreme Court.
Evolution CEO Martin Carlesund expressed his shock:
That a competitor could hire a company like Black Cube, hide behind layers of other companies, and fabricate false statements about us to harm our business and reputation is hard to understand.
High-level Playtech executives, including Weizer, reportedly communicated with Black Cube about the investigation and report. Alongside Black Cube, law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP – paid $33,700 – and PR firm HeraldPR, run by Juda S. Engelmayer, were involved in handling the report and its public dissemination. Engelmayer has previously represented Harvey Weinstein and has been described as a “go-to” spokesperson for controversial clients.
Evolution says the report, leaked to regulators and the media, was later deemed unsubstantiated by two US state regulators and the New Jersey Superior Court, yet it caused multi-billion-dollar reputational and financial damage. Black Cube allegedly used deceptive tactics including false identities, staged meetings with Evolution staff, and selectively edited recordings to create a false narrative.
An Evolution spokesperson added:
Although Playtech has finally been identified, Black Cube continues to withhold key information, including the identities of its agents and media recipients of the report. We will continue to hold all parties accountable.
Evolution now plans to amend its complaint to add Playtech as a defendant in the ongoing defamation suit, with litigation expected to extend through 2026.
Carlesund concluded:
We never wanted to believe our adversary was a competitor. It’s a bad day for the industry.
Black Cube defended its work, claiming Evolution knowingly operated in both sanctioned and prohibited markets, and said:
The case now enters its decisive stage. The truth will prevail.
