A New Jersey Superior Court has rejected Evolution AB’s request to expand its defamation lawsuit by adding Playtech as a defendant, marking a setback in the ongoing legal dispute tied to a contested investigative report into the gaming supplier’s operations.
Court filings dated June 5 in Atlantic County Superior Court show that Judge John C. Porto denied the motion after Evolution sought in April to amend its complaint. The ruling prevents the company from broadening its case against the law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP to include Playtech as a party.
Evolution’s attempt to include Playtech stemmed from claims that the company financed a private intelligence report that alleged misconduct in several jurisdictions. The report, prepared by Black Cube, was linked to concerns raised about Evolution’s operations in markets including China, Iran, and Sudan.
According to the dispute, Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP forwarded the report to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, prompting regulatory scrutiny. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board also reviewed the matter. Both agencies later closed their reviews without pursuing enforcement action against Evolution.
In its filing, Evolution argued Playtech had commissioned Black Cube and paid roughly $2.4 million for the investigation. The company also sought to bring additional parties into the case and raised allegations that included trade libel, fraud, and racketeering.
Dispute Rooted in Prohibited Markets Report
Playtech maintains its position that hiring Black Cube to produce the report was appropriate and lawful, and has described the matter as a contingent liability. The report itself became central to the defamation claims after it was circulated to regulators and triggered investigations that were later closed.
The court also denied Evolution’s request for relief under the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, a statute designed to limit certain forms of litigation. As a result, Evolution is required to appear at a hearing scheduled for November 2026 alongside Black Cube and Calcagni & Kanefsky LLP, where arguments related to the disputed report will be reviewed.
Parallel Expansion in Regulated Poker Markets
While the legal case continues, Playtech has expanded its commercial activities in regulated online poker markets. Its iPoker network has launched in North America through FanDuel, following earlier availability in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ontario.
“Debuting our industry-leading iPoker platform in North America with a valued partner like FanDuel is a defining moment for Playtech’s North American expansion,” said Playtech Chief Interactive Gaming Officer Marat Koss. “We’re immensely proud to bring our poker platform to three major regulated markets and support FanDuel in their mission to deliver a top-tier poker experience to players.”
The integration follows Flutter’s April plan to make PokerStars exclusively available through FanDuel, positioning casino and poker offerings within a single ecosystem for regulated markets.
Separately, legal observers note that procedural issues tied to the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act motion may still affect the structure of the case. The court’s decision on Playtech’s inclusion may be revisited depending on how related dismissal arguments proceed in upcoming hearings, including the November session.
Additional procedural steps remain scheduled as both sides prepare filings ahead of the November 2026 hearing.
Source:
“NJ court says Evolution cannot add Playtech to defamation lawsuit”, sbcamericas.com, Jun 16, 2026
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