Evolution and Black Cube both notched minor wins this week as their blockbuster lawsuit inches towards trial.
Evolution and Black Cube both notched minor wins this week as their blockbuster lawsuit inches towards trial.
The live casino black market case that captured the industry’s imagination last year continues to rumble on through the New Jersey state court system, as both parties look to score procedural victories ahead of a trial.
Neither side has made any noises about settling the case, even if observers have questioned whether it might make strategic sense for Evolution to get the suit out of the courtroom.
It follows the dramatic revelations – first reported by NEXT.io – in October 2025 that Playtech was the mystery accuser that had commissioned the Black Cube dossier on Evolution, news that initially spooked investors and set the stage for a major confrontation between the two B2B giants.
Some industry observers have suggested the fact that Playtech has not yet been added to the case as a defendant is a red flag signalling Evolution is reluctant to take this step. However, NEXT.io understands there may be procedural and strategic reasons the company’s attorneys have so far held off.
In the latest update, Judge John C. Porto made three orders that represent a mixed bag of results for the parties and mean continued discovery will need to be done in the already highly complex case.
In the first order, Black Cube succeeded in convincing the court to agree to its recent discovery demands in their entirety.
This means Evolution will need to hand over the Spectrum Gaming Report referenced by the New Jersey regulator in the order, which was the basis of the court siding with Evolution to name Playtech as the entity that commissioned the report.
Mixed bag of orders for parties
The Swedish live casino giant must also hand over the documents it sent to Spectrum and the NJDGE for the investigation, as well as all files, transcripts and notes of the meetings.
Evolution had argued Black Cube’s discovery request – coming after the company previously argued against new discovery – represented a delaying tactic to drag the case on.
Black Cube meanwhile countered by arguing it was a “narrowly tailored” request necessary for it to defend itself, as it helped inform the order that the report was baseless.
Meanwhile, Evolution also scored a victory by getting the court to agree to force Black Cube director Avi Yanus’ deposition, which has not yet been fully completed.
However, the court also denied Evolution’s motion to expedite a hearing under New Jersey’s anti-SLAPP law, ruling that outstanding discovery disputes and confidentiality issues must be resolved first before scheduling can proceed.
A Black Cube spokesperson told NEXT.io: “Black Cube is pleased with the court’s recent ruling and eagerly anticipates Evolution’s production of the full discovery materials, which Evolution has long resisted providing.
“We are confident that these disclosures will substantiate Black Cube’s prior reports and submissions in their entirety, demonstrating that Evolution has made its games available in sanctioned countries and black markets.”
An Evolution spokesperson previously told NEXT.io: “When these allegations were brought to our attention, we undertook a thorough investigation and fully and transparently cooperated with the regulatory investigations. We have nothing to hide and are confident in our compliance policies and processes.”