Using a VPN at online casinos
Online casino users often use a VPN – a virtual private network connection. This is because some casinos aren’t accessible from certain locations.
For example, plenty of foreign gambling companies are blocked in South Africa, but they can easily be reached using a VPN. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at playing casino games with a VPN.
What is a VPN and how does it work?
To use a VPN for playing at a casino, you first need to know and understand what a VPN actually is. Once you understand how a VPN works, it’s easy to understand why people use a VPN to play at online casinos.
VPN veikimo principas
How a VPN works is very simple. By using a special VPN app, such as NordVPN, SurfShark and similar, every user can change their IP address to that of another country. This not only opens up more options, but also encrypts personal data and guarantees considerably greater anonymity. Changing your IP address using a VPN gives you access to sites that are blocked in a specific country.
Why do people use a VPN when playing at a casino?
Casino players use a VPN for a few key reasons. First of all, a VPN lets you access online casinos that don’t operate in the player’s home country. For example, for South Africans, this makes it possible to play at casinos that offer bonuses, loyalty programmes, and the option to pay not just via banks or payment cards, but also using cryptocurrencies.
Using a VPN also usually gives you access to considerably more games, since games may only be certified in certain countries. What’s more, using a VPN guarantees anonymity, so your internet provider can’t see that you’re visiting gambling sites.
The advantages of using a VPN when playing at a casino
Using a VPN at an online casino has a few strong advantages, which players highly value. These are: getting around blocks, greater anonymity and privacy, safety when making payments, and better offers and bonuses. We’ll cover each of these.
Getting around blocks
Some casinos are blocked in certain countries or regions. For example, formally, South Africans can only play at online casinos operating with a South African licence. Even so, plenty of foreign casinos accept South African players and offer them considerably more competitive terms. Direct web addresses for these sites are blocked in South Africa, but the sites can easily be reached using a VPN. All you need to do is change your IP address to that of a country where the online casino you’re interested in operates successfully, without any restrictions.
Greater anonymity and privacy
Anonymity and privacy online matter to everyone. Plenty of users don’t want anyone to know about their interest in visiting online casinos. In that case, using a VPN is a great alternative, since a VPN app hides your online activity. This way, neither your internet provider nor the gambling sites themselves can identify your real location.
security making payments
Internet users often feel unsafe making payments online. When payments to an online casino are made using a VPN, the data is completely safe, since encrypted VPN connections ensure personal and financial data stays protected. What’s more, foreign casinos accessible via a VPN often offer alternative payment options that are completely anonymous, safe and also cheaper. For example, you can’t make payments to an online casino using cryptocurrencies in South Africa, whereas abroad, such payments aren’t just available but actively encouraged. In that case, banks and other financial institutions won’t find out about your financial transactions related to the casino.
Better offers and bonuses
Any kind of casino bonus or other promotional offer is currently strictly prohibited in South Africa. In our country, any bets or spins can only be made using real money, and it’s the player themselves who loses out most from this, since making use of bonuses can be a big part of a gaming strategy. Compared with South African casino operators, foreign online casinos have a competitive advantage, since they can offer their users plenty of bonuses – welcome packages, loyalty bonuses, weekly cashback – CashBack – the option to take part in tournaments and more. All these options are available to online casino users who use a VPN.
The downsides of using a VPN for casino games
Despite the many advantages of a VPN, playing at online casinos with a VPN also has a few downsides. We’ll briefly cover them.
Breach of casino rules
Some online casinos clearly state that using a VPN on their site is prohibited. If such a casino detects a VPN connection, or notices a player regularly logging in from different countries, it reserves the right to unilaterally block the user’s account. On the other hand, some online casinos actually emphasise that using a VPN is allowed, so it’s worth checking this factor before choosing a casino. If you choose an online casino that tolerates VPN use, you’ll be able to play without any issues.
Slower internet speed
When using a VPN, your internet connection is often a bit slower. This usually isn’t very noticeable, especially in countries where the VPN provider has plenty of different servers. But in some cases, a slower connection can be a bit annoying. For example, if the connection starts lagging while a player is playing live casino games with real dealers, the quality of the internet connection can hurt the gaming experience itself.
More complicated payments
To further protect against VPN use, some casinos may require that payments only be made from institutions registered in the same country where the account was registered.
This can be a bit of a problem when a user wants to make a bank transfer. On the other hand, there are plenty of alternatives. Online casino players who use a VPN often make payments using cryptocurrencies. This not only makes the process easier, but also guarantees complete anonymity.
Is it legal to play at online casinos with a VPN?
Using a VPN itself isn’t an illegal process, and in most cases you can say that playing at online casinos with a VPN is genuinely legal. But at the same time, a lot depends on the casino itself. Every online casino has different internal rules governing VPN use. In some places, it’s treated as a completely legal action, while elsewhere it’s prohibited.
It’s important to understand that casinos that don’t want to accept VPN players can block your account, and in that case you risk losing your money. Because of this, it’s always recommended to choose an online casino that accepts VPN players and states this publicly.
Summary
Playing at a casino with a VPN is a great, popular alternative that helps you reach considerably more online casinos. But to play at an online casino with a VPN, you first need to properly understand how a VPN itself works, and know what benefits you can get from playing at an online casino with a VPN. First of all, a VPN helps you get around company blocks and reach online casino sites that aren’t accessible from where you live.
What’s more, using a VPN at an online casino guarantees greater anonymity and privacy, and also makes it easier to make payments and claim bonuses, which are prohibited in South Africa. Playing at an online casino with a VPN does have a few downsides too – some casinos treat VPN use as a breach of the casino’s rules, and using a VPN can also make the online casino run a bit slower. As for the legality of using a VPN at an online casino, it’s completely legal, but the specific situation depends on each online casino’s internal policy.