Bodog Entertainment Group, one of the world's fastest growing media and digital entertainment giants, has applied for an operating licence in the UK, according to a report in The Guardian newspaper.

Following allegations that the company has been taking bets illegally in the US since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act came into force at the end of 2006, chief executive Calvin Ayre told The Guardian: "We have licences from sovereign governments to do what we do - that’s how it works in every other industry on the planet."

Ayre went on to admit that Bodog took bets from US customers but claimed the company did not operate there.

In order to receive a remote casino licence in the UK, the company must pass a series of stringent compliance tests.

Canadian entrepreneur Ayre founded Bodog in 1995, and started the company with less than US$10,000.

Bodog has been adjusting to its new domain name - BodogLife.com - after a patent lawsuit caused the original Bodog.com URL to go dormant last year.