Hidden Evolution Report Reveals Past Compliance Deficiencies

The ongoing legal showdown between Evolution and investigative firm Black Cube has taken another turn as a court ruling forced the gambling supplier to reveal a confidential 2022 internal document. The company-commissioned report reveals surprising compliance gaps that may affect the broader legal battle. However, it remains impossible to predict which side will ultimately prevail. Black Cube Moves to Reveal More Internal Documents This latest revelation comes after Black Cube filed a motion to obtain several years’ worth of internal Evolution documents. The investigative firm argued the material was relevant to the case, as it directly concerned the 2021 report claiming that Evolution’s games were available in markets where they should not be offered. This contentious document was later linked to Playtech, Evolution’s major rival, which commissioned Black Cube’s investigation. Black Cube maintains that this extra information would support the findings of its original report. The investigative firm argued that Evolution’s recent settlement with the UK Gambling Commission further backed its position. In July, Evolution agreed to pay GBP 4.75 million ($6.5 million) to settle a UKGC review over content that was allegedly available on six websites run by unlicensed firms. Evolution tried to challenge Black Cube’s demand for extra evidence. The gambling company argued that the discovery request was too broad and could delay a case approaching a scheduled hearing in November under New Jersey’s public-expression protection law. However, a Tuesday court filing ultimately revealed Evolution’s 2022 internal report. The Discovery Phase Continues According to a recent Financial Times report, the newly released 2022 Evolution document shows that Evolution made little to no checks to ensure its clients installed proper restrictions to block gamblers in restricted markets. The report, created by gambling research firm Spectrum Gaming Group and commissioned by Evolution, concludes that this negligence could lead to regulatory issues. This warning rang true as the ongoing lawsuit has drawn significant scrutiny to Evolution’s previous operations. New Jersey’s gambling regulator conducted an independent probe and eventually determined that the company had not violated any laws. However, the Spectrum report revealed that Evolution was indirectly receiving profits from the unauthorized use of its offerings. Despite the seriousness of these findings, there is no evidence that Evolution engaged in any illegal conduct. While its games were reportedly accessible in Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, where gambling is illegal, Evolution did not receive direct cash payments from these jurisdictions. These new revelations add to the ongoing discovery disputes and will likely make the start of the actual proceedings even more heated.