In a major development within the iGaming industry, Playtech has been revealed as the hidden party behind the controversial 2021 Evolution prohibited markets report, which caused significant harm to the reputation of Evolution. The Israeli private intelligence agency, Black Cube, had been hired by Playtech to craft the damaging report, leading to a lawsuit by Evolution seeking damages.
The Revelation of Playtech’s Involvement
The news comes after years of legal battles, as Evolution had fought to uncover the truth behind the report and its mysterious creators. A recent victory in the New Jersey court system, following multiple appearances before the state’s Supreme Court, finally unmasked Playtech as the corporate entity behind Black Cube’s actions.
As reported by Next.io, Martin Carlesund, Evolution’s CEO, expressed his shock and frustration at Playtech’s actions, stating, “The situation takes away a large piece from my belief in fair play, humanity in general and good ethics and morals.” Carlesund added that it was almost impossible to understand how a competitor could orchestrate such a malicious campaign, describing the situation as an attack on the industry’s moral foundation.
Evolution’s legal team has uncovered communications between senior Playtech executives, including CEO Mor Weizer, and Black Cube regarding the creation of the defamatory report. In addition to Black Cube, Playtech also hired the law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP to handle the report’s public release and a public relations firm, HeraldPR, founded by Juda S. Engelmayer, to manage the media. Engelmayer, who previously served as Harvey Weinstein’s spokesperson, played a key role in the report’s dissemination.
An Evolution spokesperson remarked, “It is deeply disturbing to learn that one of our competitors has gone to such extraordinary lengths to damage our business and reputation by hiring Black Cube and paying them over £1.8m to fabricate a report they knew would have extremely harmful repercussions.” The report, which was leaked to the media with the help of Calcagni & Kanefsky, was found to lack credible evidence by regulators and was later discredited by the New Jersey Superior Court.
Unethical Tactics Employed by Black Cube
Black Cube, known for using deceptive methods to sway public opinion, employed highly unethical tactics during its investigation. These included meetings with current and former Evolution employees under false pretenses, secret recordings of these interactions, and the use of disguises and fabricated identities to collect information. The report, which relied on edited recordings, was designed to create a false narrative detrimental to Evolution.
The spokesperson for Evolution highlighted the agency’s troubling history of deceit, saying, “Black Cube has a well-documented history of using deceitful methods to sway public opinion by launching smear campaigns on behalf of its clients.” The report’s false nature has since been corroborated by state regulators, who concluded that it was untruthful and lacked credibility.
Playtech’s involvement has raised questions about the company’s accountability in the matter. According to legal documents, Evolution is seeking further information from Playtech and Black Cube, including details on the individuals who worked on the report, the identities of Black Cube’s agents, and records of payments made during the investigation. Black Cube has attempted to block these requests, citing privacy concerns and claiming that revealing the identities of their agents could put them in danger.
Evolution has vowed to continue its legal pursuit, holding Playtech, Black Cube, and all involved parties responsible for the damages caused by the report. The company has indicated that it plans to amend its lawsuit to add Playtech as a defendant, with the defamation case expected to drag on until at least 2026.
