Online gambling has been a pastime for many millions of individuals across the world since the first online casino launched in  August of 1996. The popularity of online gaming is growing and the total reported income from online casinos and bookies increased from $12 billion in 2005 to an estimated $37.5 billion in 2017.

Gambling is legal in most of the Western world. In most nations, there are severe restrictions that must be obeyed, both offline and online. Furthermore, internet gambling is prohibited in at least ten nations. Many more nations impose limitations on the websites that can be visited.

Using offshore betting sites in countries where online gambling providers are illegal.

Another very popular way players access online casinos is through offshore betting and casino sites, players can play all kinds of casino games like blackjack, roulette, slots, and poker on almost every offshore betting site available, and the options to pick out the right one are never-ending, so it can be helpful to do a little research on the differences between the numerous online gambling platforms available on the global market.

Source: (https://sportslens.com/us/online-casinos/offshore/)

Gambling and placing bets in these places can be a bit tough. As a result, many people who bet online utilize a VPN. Although a VPN may be a very beneficial tool for unblocking and accessing online casinos, there are certain dangers to be aware of. 

Why is online gambling restricted?

56 of the world’s 195 recognized countries have legislative restrictions on gambling, while ten have outright prohibited it. The reasons for prohibiting internet gambling vary per nation, with social, political, and religious issues all playing a role. In practically all nations where Islam is the main faith, traditional gambling is prohibited. However, many countries have yet to pass legislation prohibiting internet gambling or lack the infrastructure to prevent individuals from accessing online casinos.

How are online gambling restrictions enforced?

Many nations that restrict online gambling rely on gambling websites and casinos to block its people from participating by filtering their IP addresses. Even if one can visit websites that have blocked IP addresses from their country, they must still register with a payment method or an address.  If one manages to create an account, they’ll need to take further steps to confirm who they are and from where they come from before they can claim their winnings. Overall, properly circumventing these online gambling regulations is rather tough.

Using a VPN to gamble online and gain access to online casinos

If you’re visiting a location where internet gambling is prohibited, the only safe method to access your favorite gambling websites is to use a VPN. You may use a VPN service to route your internet connection through a server in your own country or a nation with more liberal gambling rules, such as the United Kingdom or the United States. This means one can access websites that would otherwise be banned.

VPNs have the added benefit of obscuring the actual location and also encrypting the internet connection, making it very difficult for one’s activities to be tracked or monitored by others. However, there are several risks to utilizing a VPN that you should be aware of.

Risks of using a VPN for online gambling

Not being able to gain access to gambling sites

It may sound strange, but even with a VPN, accessing particular apps or websites might be difficult at times. This appears to differ from player to player, however we’ve heard that utilizing a VPN works for some and doesn’t for others.

Getting your Account frozen or terminated

If a gambling site discovers that a player is using a VPN, and it is clear that using a VPN is against their Terms of Service, the player’s account will be frozen, and in certain cases, terminated. This implies that no one will be able to access their account or withdraw money.

Even if one manages to use a gambling site for a long amount of time while using a VPN, they might still have problems being compensated. Many websites require certain personal information before transferring funds to the player. A copy of an ID, a genuine bank account, and a legitimate address are normally required.

These measures are needed to ensure that the money is sent to the correct recipient. This may, however, be used to check if the player is in a legal country. They may withhold one’s winnings and freeze their account if they discover they are not a true resident of the nation.

When to use a VPN when gambling online

Given these dangers, one might conclude that using a VPN to gamble online is a waste of time. However, this isn’t entirely correct. The majority of online gamblers who utilize a VPN do so because they are traveling overseas. They have access to an online gambling site in their home nation, but they can’t use it since they’re on vacation or a business trip. They can still gain access by using a VPN.

It’s worth noting that they can’t normally withdraw money (cash out) from these other nations. They utilize the VPN to gain access to their favorite gaming site, and then they may withdraw their earnings when they return home.

So, if one’s a frequent online gambler and does not have access to these sites in their native country, utilizing a VPN to access their favorite online casino or gambling games could be an alternative.