Tessa Jowell, Culture Secretary, said the US ban on Internet gambling will only fuel illegal offshore sites.

She also accused the American regulation of ignoring previous experiences and not learning from them and “passing laws that would push punters to modern-day speakeasies on the web.”

Jowell said that the countries have three choices: Prohibit, like the US; do nothing; or regulate, like the UK.

“I firmly believe we have chosen the path that will do the most to protect children and vulnerable people and keep out crime,” Jowell said. She added, “America should have learnt the lessons of prohibition. The Volstead Act was meant to stop alcohol from causing harm, but in practice it forced otherwise law-abiding customers into the hands of the bootleggers.”