PartyGaming has rekindled hopes of an end to the two-year battle between the online gambling industry and US prosecutors, saying it was hopeful of being allowed back into the US market in the “not too distant future”.

The comments by Martin Weigold, PartyGaming’s finance director, were made as the company announced 2008 results showing a dip in sales from $476m to $473m (£343m). But that reflected a $18m one-off adjustment booked in 2007. Sales from continuing operations were up 3 per cent.