Playtech’s legal dispute with Evolution has intensified after a previously confidential report commissioned by Evolution became public during ongoing court proceedings.
Playtech said the Spectrum Gaming Group report supported several concerns raised in an earlier investigation conducted by intelligence firm Black Cube. The company claimed the document confirmed issues involving the availability of Evolution games in certain prohibited markets and questions around compliance monitoring.
The dispute between the two gaming suppliers began in 2020 after Playtech hired Black Cube to examine allegations concerning Evolution’s activities. Evolution rejected the claims and described the investigation as a smear campaign, later commissioning Spectrum Gaming Group to review the accusations.
The Spectrum Report was created as part of Evolution’s legal action against Black Cube and was later released through proceedings in New Jersey. Playtech said the publication of the document changed the situation because Evolution had previously argued that the report cleared the company of wrongdoing.
“For months, Evolution has publicly characterised the Spectrum Report as exonerating it. Yet, at the same time, Evolution consistently refused to make the report available to the public,” Playtech told markets this morning.
“Now that the Spectrum Report is publicly available, it is clear both why the Spectrum Report has become so important in the US litigation – and why Evolution fought so hard to keep it confidential.”
Report Raises Questions Over Market Access And Compliance
According to Playtech, the released report highlighted concerns about Evolution games being available in certain restricted locations and examined whether the company had taken sufficient action to prevent access through customer operators.
Spectrum reportedly found that Evolution had “not taken any proactive steps” to ensure customer-facing operators followed contractual requirements. The report also stated that the supplier had not “taken any remedial action since the allegations of wrongdoing surfaced to block those particular sites or jurisdictions or to enforce their contracts with their clients with the respect to this activity,”
The report was unable to confirm or reject some of the earlier allegations related to sanctioned countries, including Iran, Syria, and Sudan. However, Playtech said Spectrum was able to support claims that Evolution games were accessible and generating revenue in several prohibited locations.
Those locations included Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Spectrum also reportedly reviewed claims involving virtual currency risks and found that Evolution had accepted wagers using such currencies without activating additional due diligence procedures expected in those circumstances.
At the same time, the report stated that it did not believe Evolution had engaged in illegal practices and rejected allegations involving cash payments and the use of Evolution games in sanctioned countries.
Playtech said Spectrum could not reach conclusions on certain matters because Evolution did not provide all requested information. The supplier also argued that the report showed concerns about Evolution’s approach to monitoring operators and enforcing contractual restrictions.
Evolution declined to comment on the court filings after the report became public.
Long-Running Court Battle Continues
The disagreement between Playtech and Evolution has continued for several years following the release of the Black Cube investigation in 2021. The investigation alleged that Evolution supplied games in markets where gambling services were restricted.
Evolution challenged the claims and launched legal proceedings against Black Cube. The company later revealed that Playtech had paid £1.8 million for the investigation, which resulted in Playtech shares falling by around 25% during the trading session following the disclosure.
Evolution has consistently denied involvement in illegal activity and has defended its business practices throughout the dispute.
The legal proceedings have also attracted attention from regulators. The UK Gambling Commission previously reached a regulatory settlement with Evolution worth £4.75 million after finding that the supplier’s games had been available through several unlicensed operators in the UK.
The regulator also found concerns related to anti-money laundering and customer due diligence controls. Evolution responded by introducing additional controls across Europe to restrict access to its games through grey-market operators.
The company’s legal action against Black Cube remains ongoing. Evolution also attempted to add Playtech as a defendant in the New Jersey proceedings earlier in 2026.
The release of the Spectrum Report has added another development to the dispute, with both companies continuing to present different interpretations of the document’s findings.
Source:
Playtech’s legal spat with rival deepens after publication of secret report, cityam.com, September 10, 2026
