A judge in New Jersey has shot down Evolution AB‘s bid to punish investigative company Black Cube in a high-profile slander case that has got the online betting world talking.
Judge Finds No Discovery Breach by Black Cube in Evolution Lawsuit
Judge John C. Porto of the Superior Court in Atlantic County decided that Black Cube did not mean to break an earlier order about showing payments and bills. Evolution wanted to see Black Cube punished, saying the firm did not show its financial ties to its work for Playtech PLC, a rival company, as reported by Law360.
The court ruled that the September discovery order’s reach was confined to what was known when it was issued. At that time, Evolution knew about an initial probe Black Cube did in 2021. This probe led to a report given to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Later, during Dr. Avi Yanus’ testimony, more facts came to light about other contracts and payments. Dr. Yanus is Black Cube’s director.
Judge Porto decided that Black Cube had given reasonable answers based on how the original question was worded. He pointed out that the new information that came out during testimony went beyond what the firm had to provide at first. Because of this, the court chose not to punish them, but said Evolution could bring up the issue again later. The judge also said Yanus’s questioning should continue.
Evolution Pushes $14bn Claim as Black Cube Sanctions Bid Fails
Evolution claimed Black Cube had held back information on purpose and asked the court to make them pay legal fees and face tougher consequences. Black Cube argued back that they had done everything the order said and that Evolution wanted records about investigative work done from 2022 to 2025, which they said was not part of the original request.
The lawsuit goes back to 2021, when Evolution sued law firm Calcagni & Kanefsky and lawyer Ralph J. Marra. The suit claims that an investigative report had false statements hinting that Evolution worked in banned areas and mishandled cash. The company says these claims were aimed at hurting its image. Black Cube was added to the lawsuit later.
Watchdogs found no proof to back up the report’s claims, but Evolution says the issue still cost them a lot. The company claims the damage is over $14 billion. After the ruling, the company said that not getting sanctions did not weaken their main case. They were glad that witness statements would continue.
The ruling adds another step in a legal battle that has already shaken investor trust and hit share prices across the gambling tech sector. Experts caution that the court case could drag on for years if the parties do not reach an agreement.