Date of Publication: June 18, 2026, 08:40h.
Updated On: June 18, 2026, 08:40h.
- Judge denies Evolution’s motion to include Playtech as a co-defendant
- Allegations claim Playtech compensated Black Cube for a controversial report against Evolution
- Judicial ruling keeps the possibility open for Playtech’s future involvement in the case
A judge from the New Jersey Superior Court has turned down Evolution AB’s appeal to bring Playtech into its defamation lawsuit against the Israeli intelligence firm Black Cube, as reported by NEXT.io.
In November 2021, Evolution initiated legal action against Black Cube and the Newark-based law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP (C&K) due to a controversial report suggesting that the Swedish software company was supplying games to operators involved with “prohibited territories like Iran, Syria, and Sudan”—a claim Evolution asserts is defamatory and untrue.
Impact of $3 Billion Share Decline
Following C&K’s dissemination of the Black Cube report to New Jersey regulators and its media release, Evolution’s stock price fell dramatically, leading to a loss of approximately $3 billion in market capitalization.
In October 2025, Black Cube was instructed to disclose the identity of the entity that commissioned the report: Playtech.
According to NEXT.io, the court’s recent decision appears to stem from procedural grounds rather than substantive issues. Currently, a different motion by Black Cube is under examination in accordance with New Jersey’s anti-SLAPP laws.
These anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) regulations are designed to shield journalists, activists, and other watchdogs from being bullied into silence by powerful individuals or organizations through legal means.
Black Cube maintains that notifying regulators about potential misconduct is protected under anti-SLAPP statutes, arguing that regulators rely on external tips and complaints, which are generally safeguarded by law.
Conversely, Evolution argues that Black Cube’s actions were not altruistic whistleblower activity but rather a commercially driven smear campaign orchestrated by a rival aimed at harming its reputation with regulators and investors.
Allegations of ‘Success Payments’
It is claimed that Playtech compensated Black Cube around £1.8 million ($2.4 million) for the report, including additional performance-based “success payments” for inciting media coverage or regulatory actions against Evolution.
In rejecting Evolution’s proposal, the judge did not address the substance of Evolution’s claims against Playtech but allowed the option for Playtech to be included as a defendant in the future if the litigation proceeds beyond Black Cube’s anti-SLAPP challenge.
The case is still in the discovery stage, with the involved parties continuing to争 over evidence and witness testimonies more than four years after the initiation of the lawsuit.