New Jersey Court Denies Evolution Motion to Add Playtech in Defamation Case

Evolution AB has suffered a setback in its ongoing legal fight in New Jersey. The company had asked the Atlantic County Superior Court to amend its complaint and include 

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Playtech as a defendant in its defamation lawsuit against Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP. That request, filed in April, was rejected in a ruling entered on June 5. 

The judge’s decision was procedural, tied to the fact that Evolution also filed a motion for relief from a stay under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. Because of that, the denial was issued without prejudice. 

This means Evolution cannot add Playtech at this stage of the case, but retains the option to try again once the current lawsuit against Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP reaches a resolution.

The story so far 

The court filings revealed a covert campaign that ran for several years, with Playtech at the center of things. Between 2021 and 2024, the gambling software giant paid more than £1.8 million ($2.4 million) to Black Cube, a private intelligence agency known for its undercover work. 

The mission was to investigate Evolution, Playtech’s Swedish rival, and gather material that could cast doubt on its operations. 

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Documents show that Black Cube agents went beyond simple research. They built fake companies, set up websites, and used false identities to approach Evolution executives, posing as investors. Meetings were secretly recorded, and the information collected was later used to file a complaint with New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. 

When Bloomberg reported on the complaint in 2021, Evolution’s stock dropped nearly 30% in a week, triggering bonus payments to Black Cube tied to “damaging findings” and media exposure. 

Playtech defends actions

Playtech continued to fund the project as regulators in Pennsylvania and New Jersey examined the claims. The company even promised a £500,000 bonus if Evolution lost any licenses, though that outcome never materialized. By 2024, regulators dismissed the allegations as baseless and closed their inquiries. 

Playtech has defended its actions, saying the investigation was meant to ensure compliance rather than harm a competitor. Evolution has rejected that explanation, calling the campaign a smear effort. 

Black Cube has also stood by its methods, with co‑founder Avi Yanus insisting the covert tactics were necessary to “uncover the truth.” The fallout has hit both companies hard: Playtech’s shares fell about 25% after the revelations, while Evolution continues to fight the claims in court.

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