Sep 01, 2026 | 5:28 am
Playtech has intensified its criticism of Evolution after the publication of a previously sealed report that sits at the center of a long-running legal battle involving Evolution, Playtech and private intelligence firm Black Cube.
The report, prepared by Spectrum Gaming Group and commissioned by Evolution, entered the public domain through a court filing related to the ongoing defamation case. While Evolution has previously presented the document as evidence supporting its position, Playtech argues that the report validates several compliance concerns raised during Black Cube’s original investigation.
The dispute traces back to 2021 when Evolution filed legal action against Black Cube after learning that the intelligence firm had conducted a covert investigation into the supplier’s business activities. Playtech had commissioned that investigation, which examined whether Evolution’s games were accessible in jurisdictions where gambling activity was restricted or prohibited.
According to Playtech, the newly public Spectrum report confirms a number of the issues identified during Black Cube’s work, particularly around market access controls and oversight of operator partners.
Compliance Controls Become Focus of Dispute
In a statement released through the London Stock Exchange, Playtech said the Spectrum report supports concerns regarding the availability of Evolution’s products in certain restricted markets and questions the effectiveness of the supplier’s compliance monitoring processes.
Playtech highlighted Spectrum’s assessment that Evolution “does not take any proactive steps” to ensure that operator customers using its products “are complying with the terms of the contracts”.
The company further noted that Spectrum described the compliance concerns it identified as “significant” and “problematic”, while warning that they could place Evolution “in a precarious situation with law enforcement officials”.
According to Playtech, the report found that Evolution lacked ongoing monitoring mechanisms to verify whether operator partners were preventing access from restricted jurisdictions. The company argued that these findings align with central allegations contained in the Black Cube investigation.
The original dossier accused Evolution of supplying gaming content into prohibited and sanctioned territories, including countries subject to U.S. sanctions such as Iran and Syria. Evolution has consistently denied wrongdoing and has maintained that the investigation was part of an effort to damage its business.
Questions Remain Over Restricted Markets
Although Playtech argues that the Spectrum report supports key elements of Black Cube’s findings, it also acknowledges that the report did not conclusively resolve all of the allegations.
According to Playtech, Spectrum was unable “to confirm or refute” some claims because Evolution did not provide all of the information requested during the review process. Playtech said the missing data included information that could have shown whether gaming sessions had occurred in Iran, Syria and Sudan, along with related revenue records.
The company stated that these gaps prevented Spectrum from fully completing parts of its investigation.
At the same time, the report reportedly concluded that it found no evidence that Evolution had engaged in illegal practices. Spectrum also rejected allegations related to cash payments and claims that Evolution’s games were operating within sanctioned countries.
However, Playtech pointed to findings that Evolution’s games were accessible and generating revenue in several locations described as prohibited markets, including Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The report also reportedly raised concerns regarding compliance controls around virtual currency wagering. Playtech said Spectrum found instances where cryptocurrency-related activity did not trigger the enhanced due diligence measures typically associated with such transactions.
Additional findings referenced by Playtech indicated that Evolution continued to receive revenue from operators active in grey markets without implementing contractual restrictions or corrective measures following earlier allegations.
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Regulatory and Legal Pressure Continues
The publication of the report arrives amid broader regulatory scrutiny of Evolution's operations.
In July, the UK Gambling Commission concluded an investigation into the supplier and determined that Evolution had failed to maintain adequate anti-money laundering and customer due diligence controls in the UK market. Regulators also found that Evolution’s games had been available through several unlicensed operators.
The matter resulted in a £4.75 million regulatory settlement in July. The Commission considered suspending Evolution’s licence before the company implemented additional controls, including ring-fencing measures across European markets designed to prevent access through grey-market operators.
Playtech welcomed the release of the report, stating: “Playtech is pleased that the Spectrum Report is now public, and welcomes the opportunity for the court, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders to review the document in its entirety.”
The supplier added that it remains confident the court proceedings will ultimately support the credibility of the Black Cube investigation and its decision to commission it.
Evolution, meanwhile, continues to pursue its legal claims. In April, the company sought permission from the Superior Court of New Jersey to add Playtech and several other parties as defendants in the case. Evolution's filing accused Playtech of trade libel, fraud and racketeering.
The supplier said at the time: “It continues to be disappointing that a direct competitor would go to such extreme lengths to orchestrate a covert campaign designed to harm our business and avoid competing fairly in the marketplace.”
Evolution has also pointed to the closure of regulatory investigations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in February 2024 without corrective action and a September 2025 court finding that the original 2021 report was objectively baseless.
As litigation continues, the newly public Spectrum report is likely to remain a central point of contention, with both sides interpreting its conclusions in sharply different ways while regulators and courts continue their review of the wider dispute.
Source:
“Playtech highlights Evolution compliance failures as Spectrum Gaming report is released“, igamingbusiness.com, September 9, 2026.