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Seven Star Digital and Kinetic Investments today announce a deal in which the gambling comparison company will receive investment to drive further expansion. Seven Star Digital operates a number of well-known comparison brands including TopRatedCasinos.co.uk and Compare.bet. The company currently has 15 employees and is based in Shoreditch, London. Kinetic Investments has previously invested in and partnered with other affiliate startups including Investoo Group, which is now one of the largest financial lead generation companies in the world and focuses primarily on growth through mergers and acquisitions. Luke Eales - Founder and CEO of Seven Star Digital commented: “I’m very excited by the potential of this investment. We operate in one of the internet’s most competitive markets and have built a great foundation in a short period of time. Now the focus is on scaling while maintaining our top-quality service to consumers and our commercial partners. With Kinetic Investments and the fantastic team at Seven Star Digital, I am confident that the future will hold great things.” David Merry – Partner and Co-Founder of Kinetic Investments commented: “Our investment in Seven Star Digital allows us to put our years of experience in digital growth, M&A and online gambling to use. Together with the amazing leadership and team at Seven Star Digital, I am confident that the company’s impressive growth will continue to accelerate.” Terms of the investment have not been disclosed. - About Seven Star Digital Seven Star Digital was established in 2016 with a simple aim: to provide a better gambling comparison experience for consumers in the UK and beyond. The company has grown significantly since launch, using cutting-edge digital marketing to help hundreds of thousands of players find their perfect online gambling site. About Kinetic Investments Kinetic Investments provides entrepreneurs with the capital and support required to transform their vision into a success, in return for shared ownership of the company. Ki invests £10k-£1m in early stage startups, usually in Seed funding and Series A rounds.

iGaming customer acquisition company Seven Star Digital has announced a new partnership with esports gaming betting specialist, SickOdds.com. As part of the deal, Seven Star Digital will provide funding for expansion, as well as commercial and marketing expertise in the highly competitive gambling sector. The esports vertical has seen huge growth in the past three years and the sector is expected to reach $1.4 billion by 2020. While gross gaming yield remains modest in comparison to the likes of gaming and sport, it represents fertile ground within iGaming, a totally new demographic, and opportunities for highly engaging live experiences. “By combining our expertise in developing fast-growing, user-centric comparison sites with the SickOdds founding team’s knowledge and passion for esports – as well as their active engagement in the bustling esports community – we plan to forge a position as a leading portal for esports betting worldwide,” commented Luke Eales, Founder & CEO at Seven Star Digital. “PASPA’s recent repeal in the US creates the possibility of regulated esports betting in this potentially lucrative market. Our immediate focus however is on expansion in the UK and Europe, where we see a range of exciting growth opportunities.” Tom Wade, co-founder of SickOdds.com, said: “Both myself and Nick Pateman, with whom I started the site, are extremely excited to work with Seven Star Digital. Our deep understanding of esports and what resonates with its fans gives us an edge over more general sports betting sites. Our platform will provide the first esports betting aggregation of its kind, and we can't wait to accelerate the development of its features with Seven Star Digital.”

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About SickOdds.com SickOdds.com was launched in 2017 by esports enthusiasts and digital specialists Tom Wade and Nick Pateman. The platform’s goal has been to help consumers make more informed betting decisions by providing them with comprehensive gaming data ranging from match odds to individual player statistics. More info: https://sickodds.com About Seven Star Digital Seven Star Digital was established in 2016 with a simple aim: to provide a better gambling site comparison experience for consumers in the UK and beyond. The company has grown significantly since launch, using modern digital marketing techniques to help hundreds of thousands of players find their perfect online casinos and betting sites. The company is based in London, UK and operates several brands including Compare.bet, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. More info: https://www.sevenstardigital.com Contact Luke Eales, Founder & CEO, Seven Star Digital press@sevenstardigital.com

A survey of 2,000 football fans found, despite negative sentiment surrounding VAR in the media, the majority of supporters are in agreement that Video Assistant Referees will have a positive impact on the sport.   In the VAR opinion poll survey commissioned by Compare.bet, the need for VAR adoption was clear, with 94% of fans admitting to disagreeing with the referee at some point over the course of a game. Only 5% thought referees have an easy job. Fans also believe that VAR adoption would the reduce the impact players have on key refereeing decisions, as 57% think player protests can influence the referee during the game. 81% believe this will be eliminated when VAR is eventually introduced more widely. Many point to the favourable decisions given by referees to table-topping Premier League clubs as a major injustice in the game, with the majority in agreement that the ‘Big 6’ receive the benefit of the referee’s decisions. This is another issue which fans believe VAR could solve, as 83 per cent also see VAR as a means to level the playing field, resulting in a fairer game for all. “VAR is one of the most divisive aspects of the modern game. Despite all the media debate, the underlying feeling amongst UK football fans is positive. They understand the pressures and difficulties of the modern game and are open to using technology to support referees,” said a spokesperson for Compare.bet. Despite overwhelming support for the use of VAR to aid match-changing decisions, the way it’s implemented is still a matter of debate. 7 out of 10 are unhappy with the stoppages required to review video footage, as it often ruins the atmosphere for match-going supporters. The use cases for VAR could also do with adjustment, according to fans. The current reviewable decisions are goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity, but fans would like to see other issues such as diving and violent conduct added to this list. These offences are in much higher demand amongst fans in comparison to mistaken identity, which is an extremely rare occurrence in modern football.   The study, conducted via OnePoll.com, also found 76 per cent of fans believe the history of football would have been very different if VAR had been in place. In fact, the top football moment supporters would like to go back and use VAR on was revealed to be Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 World Cup. This was followed by Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal for England against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, and Thierry Henry’s handball against Ireland to shatter their 2010 World Cup qualifying dreams. Forty-six per cent also believe widespread implementation of VAR will spell the end for the fifth official in the Europa and Champions League, which is particularly interesting in light of recent questions surrounding the value of their input into key match-changing decisions. When asked about the use of video refereeing in other sports, respondents cited Rugby as the best example, followed by Tennis and Cricket. A spokesperson for Compare.bet added, “With FIFA’s recent approval of VAR for use during World Cup 2018, it’s now more crucial than ever to get fans on side and ensure VAR doesn’t detract from the spectacle of the tournament.”   Top 10 football moments fans would most like to go back and use VAR on

1. Maradona's "Hand of God" goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup
2. Frank Lampard's disallowed goal for England against Germany at the 2010 World Cup
3. Thierry Henry's handball for France against Ireland in a 2009 World Cup playoff
4. Liverpool's Luis Suarez's bite on Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013
5. Sol Campbell's disallowed goal for England against Portugal in the Euro 2004 quarter finals
6. Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs being sent off for handball in 2014, despite the handball being committed by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
7. Pedro Mendes' disallowed 50-yard goal for Tottenham against Man United in 2005
8. Man City's Ben Thatcher's elbow on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes in 2006
9. Luis Garcia's "Ghost Goal" for Liverpool against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final in 2005
10. Holland's Ronald Koeman's foul on England's David Platt in a 1993 World Cup qualifier

The full data set collected as part of this the research is available here.

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Seven Star Digital today announces its first move into the Scandinavian gaming market with the launch of ToppOnlineCasinon.se, an online casino comparison site. ToppOnlineCasinon.se will be the Swedish equivalent of TopRatedCasinos.co.uk, the company's popular and established UK casino brand. ToppOnlineCasinon will be localised with relevant content, providers, offers and features to meet local needs, creating a truly bespoke experience for the Swedish market. The Swedish website will build on the themes that have brought considerable success in the UK, including focus on user experience, content quality and provider selection. "Scandinavia is well established as a highly attractive region for iGaming operators and affiliates alike, with many of the largest gaming companies putting high priority on acquiring customers there," said Luke Eales, Founder and CEO at Seven Star Digital.com. "The impending change in regulatory regime, currently due to come into force on 1st January 2019, will allow the market to mature and create a more stable environment in which to operate."