The Playtech-Evolution affair exposes the truth about igaming
In the world of iGaming, there are no good guys and bad guys. There is only a ruthless fight for influence and gigantic sums of money. Yesterday’s news, which shook the industry, is the best proof of this: the software giant, Playtech, was allegedly behind commissioning a report attacking its biggest rival, Evolution. Does it sound like a spy movie script? Perhaps. But in reality, it’s just another day at the office – only this time, the dirty laundry has been aired.
The information, which Evolution released on October 21, 2025, electrified the media. The accusations are serious: Playtech allegedly hired Black Cube – a private intelligence agency founded by former Israeli intelligence officers – to conduct a “slanderous campaign.” The methods? False identities, secret recordings, and manipulating statements to create a narrative about Evolution’s illegal activities.
The Hypocrisy Observatory
This day was a great moment to observe the entire industry and its various influence groups. It was fascinating to track who passed the information on, how they commented on it, and with what outrage they condemned the unethical intelligence methods. Looking at these reactions, one can come to a single conclusion: many of these people are complete hypocrites.
What we are seeing between Playtech and Evolution is not a clash of good versus evil. It’s a brutal war for influence.
Sometimes dirty, but in its essence, it’s no different from what individual companies do every day. On one hand, we see smiles at conferences, handshakes at photo ops, and shared photos on LinkedIn.
On the other hand, the same people stab each other in the back, undermine competitors, and fight for every scrap of the market.
This applies to everyone – event organizers, suppliers, operators. This industry is chronically lacking a voice that tells it like it is, because it is filled with falsehood and PR doublespeak.
Who Profited from the War of the Titans?
The difference between this scandal and everyday scuffles is that Playtech and Evolution are publicly traded companies. Such a war has immediate, measurable financial consequences. The market’s reaction was brutal.
Playtech’s shares plummeted, and a significant part of its market capitalization – we’re talking milions – simply evaporated in a single session.
One can only ask one key question: who knew about this beforehand, and who was able to short Playtech’s stock yesterday? Someone made a fortune from this war.
The Elephant in the Room
In all this commotion, Playtech was immediately cast in a negative light. Most commentators focused on Black Cube’s immoral methods and the responsibility of the one who commissioned it, rather than on the report itself. And what was in it?
And here we get to the heart of the matter. In reality, Evolution cannot unequivocally deny this.
Frankly, you don’t need a major Black Cube investigation or to bug Evolution employees.
You just need to visit the websites of popular operators working in the grey market, openly breaking local laws, to see a lobby with Evolution dealers. It’s an open secret in the industry.
Below you can find a screenshot from one of the most prominent offshore casinos operating in Poland (but it’s similar in many countries around the world)
A New Level of Brutality
The fight between Playtech and Evolution has simply entered a new level. They’ve stopped using subtle daggers and have resorted to heavy artillery. Playtech, of course, argues that this cannot be called a deliberate attack, but rather an attempt to investigate a competitor’s business model – a peculiar, albeit aggressive, form of “due diligence.”
The fact that the report then found its way to regulators and the media is another matter entirely. This was a deliberate action intended to cause a crisis for a rival. And although today the industry expresses shock and disbelief, tomorrow everyone will return to their own smaller wars. Because in a game for billions of dollars, sentiments do not exist.