⚡ Playtech turned out to be the customer of the scandalous investigation against Evolution
Sources have confirmed that it was Playtech that paid private Israeli intelligence company Black Cube £1.8m ($2.41m) to falsify a report on Evolution's activities in prohibited jurisdictions. The document, published in 2021, triggered a major reputational crisis and resulted in a series of lawsuits for the provider.
The investigation lasted almost 5 years and ended with Evolution's victory. U.S. regulators recognized the report as unreliable and lacking in evidence. Having achieved the disclosure of the customer's identity, the ISP intends to bring all campaigners to trial for defamation, estimating the damage at billions of dollars.
According to the court materials, Playtech's top managers, including CEO Maura Weiser, were involved in the defamation campaign. Black Cube acted with the support of law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky and PR-agency HeraldPR, known for its cooperation with Harvey Weinstein's lawyer. The company's agents posed as investors, used fake names, secretly recorded meetings and fabricated videos compromising a competitor.
The legal battle between the companies could be one of the most high-profile in the history of online gambling and could continue until 2026.