Speaking within an hour of the arrest of SportingBet chairman Peter Dicks Garber said: “We are a FTSE 100-compliant company. If the department of justice has any issues with our business I would hope they would notify us and communicate that with us fully.”

Garber added that he hoped PartyGaming would soon be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, a development that would give added legitimacy to one of the world’s largest online gambling groups.

Garber was in fighting mood, attacking both the US, and other countries that have mirrored the US stance on online gambling.