Do VPNs Lead to Account Restrictions at Online Casinos?

People today use virtual private network (VPN) tools for various reasons, but mainly to enhance their online security and privacy and to access blocked content on websites that people in certain regions are restricted from visiting.

In recent years, I’ve relied on VPNs like millions of other like-minded people and have found that some websites forbid you from using them despite VPNs not being illegal.

With that in mind, here is a closer look at how using VPNs can potentially lead to temporary restrictions being placed on your account at certain fully licensed and regulated online casinos.

Can I Use VPNs To Access Online Casinos?

Yes and no. It all depends on where you live and which sites you join. For example, I’ve found countless online fruit machine, blackjack, and roulette website operators that don’t allow fully registered members like me to use VPNs on their websites, but just as many other operators that don’t mind me using them to access their site, services, and products.

Take UK-licensed sites, for example – websites that are fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, or US and Canadian-focused sites that are licensed by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement or the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

I’ve found many sites that are licensed by one or more of these authorities that strictly prohibit players from using VPNs to access their sites because those operators are only legally permitted to accept real cash wagers from players in certain regions.

They even use geo-location targeting software and VPN detectors to ensure that their registered members aren’t trying to side-step restrictions and play from restricted regions.

The most trusted website operators simply don’t want to get in trouble with the licensing authorities that have issued them with their licences, and so have measures in place to ensure players don’t try to cheat the system and lie about their true locations, which is exactly what VPNs are designed to do.

In other words, although you can use VPNs to access hundreds of legally permitted sites, you will also find there are just as many that will ask you to switch them off if you are using them to access their site.

Disconnecting from a VPN server based on a location that isn’t restricted from that site would reveal your true location (IP address), and if it’s a restricted area, you wouldn’t be able to gain access to that site. 

Some people, myself included, prefer using VPNs because they enhance your online security by using highly encrypted end-to-end tunnels to funnel your internet activity. 

Your browsing history is hidden, meaning you are completely anonymous online, and cybercriminals can’t track you. They can even reduce latency and speed up your internet.

My friend doesn’t use a VPN, but their bet365 account was recently restricted. Why might this be, and how can they get the restrictions lifted?

I recently learned that my friend has multiple active accounts on at least 20 perfectly secure websites offering real money gambling services, and their bet365 account was recently restricted, but they don’t ever use a VPN to access that site. So, what could it be?

In my years of experience, I’ve learned that there are many reasons why people’s accounts could have been restricted, which is explained in much greater detail right here on this page (https://www.casinomeister.com/blog/why-is-my-bet365-account-restricted/) at Casino Meister.

Some of the main reasons why their account may have been restricted are the following:

• They failed to complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) account verification process
• Some of the documents they provided during the account identification/proof of address process don’t match the details they provided when they filled out the online registration form to join that site
• They may have broken the terms and conditions or failed to adhere/comply with the general policies on that website
• They already had an account on that same website from years ago using a different name, address, email address, and phone number, whether it was by mistake or for fraudulent reasons (e.g., bonus misuse), so they will restrict one or both accounts
• Their systems may have detected suspicious activity in their betting patterns
• They may have been rude and threatening to the customer support agents or threatened the casino with legal action, or they have made countless defamatory comments and lied about the service they had received on their website to make them look bad when, in fact, those allegations weren’t true

The b365 operator (and almost any other trusted iGaming operator) may also close or restrict your account if it has been dormant for a prolonged period, if you become bankrupt and, for example, if you self-excluded yourself or take a timeout.

Final Thoughts

To ensure your account doesn’t get temporarily frozen, perhaps avoid using VPNs to access certain sites and ensure that you don’t engage in fraudulent or defamatory activities. However, also don’t forget that numerous websites like this are absolutely fine with people using VPNs to access their products and services. 

Finally, if you have moved address since you signed up and are trying to complete the KYC process, you must inform them of your change of address or, for example, if you change your name. 

If you fail to update them with any important changes you make, you can pretty much count on them placing restrictions on our account, meaning you won’t be able to deposit, play or withdraw on that site until you do.