How a VPN Can Unlock Geo-Restricted Online Casinos
Like many other online businesses, online casinos only offer their services to certain countries. In some cases, they also restrict their content to certain geographical regions – for example, there are countries where residents are accepted as members but cannot take advantage of bonus offers. These restrictions, which are determined based on your geographical location, can be bypassed by using a virtual private network (VPN).
Here, we will explain how this is possible and give you an idea of how VPNs work. After bypassing geographical restrictions, you may want to consider visiting Roulette77.de before trying your luck at the casinos you join. The Roulette77 platform offers localized content for different countries and regions, providing everything you need to know about this traditional casino game.
Why Do Casinos Restrict Their Services?
Legal online casinos operate under a license issued by the regulatory authority of a specific country. As a rule, each license is valid only in the country where it was issued. For example:
- An online casino that wants to offer its services to UK players must obtain a license from the Gambling Commission.
- This license is only valid for British players.
- If the casino also wants to offer its services in Italy, it will need to obtain a separate license from the Italian regulatory agency.
- Without this, it cannot accept Italian players as members or allow them to play for real money – its UK license does not cover this.
While there are licenses that cover multiple countries or geographic regions, the general rule is that a casino can only offer its services where it is licensed. So, if a casino does not allow you to sign up or play with real money, this is more than just a formality: it means the casino is not yet legally authorized to operate in your country.
How Do VPNs Get Around This Restriction?
Every device connected to the internet has an IP address assigned by its ISP (Internet Service Provider). This address consists of a series of numbers and serves as your digital identity. For example, you can visit the WIMIA website to see what your address is. Unlike in movies, it doesn’t show your actual address, but it can be used to determine which geographic region you’re in.
Now, let’s imagine you visit a website without using a VPN. In this case, the traffic would go like this:
- Your device – the website you visit
So, you connect directly to this website, and the IP address assigned to you by your ISP can be seen by the website to determine your geographic location. This information is used to determine which services you can (or cannot) access. This applies not only to websites but also to platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, and Prime Video: these streaming platforms decide which content you can view based on your IP address (i.e., your geographic location).
If you connect to the same site using a VPN, the traffic flow would be as follows:
- Your device – VPN server – the site you visit
So, you don’t connect directly to the site. You first connect to the VPN server and then visit the site through it. In this case, the IP address the website sees is not yours but the VPN server’s. And whichever country that server is in, you appear to be in that country.
VPN services do more than just change your IP address. They create a secure tunnel by encrypting the connection between your device and the VPN server, thereby enhancing your online security and privacy. However, most people use them to change their IP addresses, and since most VPN service providers have servers in dozens of different countries, this is quite easy to do: you can change your virtual location to almost any country in the world.
Is It a Good Idea to Use a VPN at Online Casinos?
Yes, you can change your virtual location with a iProVPN and register at an online casino or bypass service restrictions, but this may not be a good idea. Most casinos will consider the use of this tool a violation of its terms of service. In most cases, if you are found to be using a VPN, your account will be closed (and all your winnings will be forfeited).
The reason for this is easy to understand: as we mentioned above, if you live in a country where a casino does not yet offer its services, there is a legal reason for this. And by using a VPN, you cause the casino to violate its licensing terms: this could even lead to the license being revoked. And rest assured, it won’t take long for you to be exposed, because casinos will eventually require you to verify your identity, and since you can’t provide documents related to your virtual country, you won’t be able to complete this process. Therefore, the best option is to join casinos that accept members from your country instead of resorting to deception.
