VPNs get a lot of bad press over the Internet, with skeptics quoting security issues and unethical practices as major negatives. However, the bad press received is completely unjust. VPNs can be really effective tools when used correctly, and casino gamers have been using them safely for years. We want to shed some more light on the use of VPNs in the online gaming world, which is why we have created this short read.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is effectively a tool used to maintain anonymity over the Internet. VPNs or "virtual private networks" as they are known have grown in popularity due to the rise of cyber-attacks and identity fraud online. And with online casinos, you commonly need to provide your name, address, date of birth, and other personal information. Just imagine what could happen if all of this private information fell into the wrong hands!
Online casino players have been using VPNs at real money casinos for a long time now, and they have been doing so successfully. But it is still a bit of a grey area, particularly from the perspective of online casinos.
How do VPNs work?
VPNs are in rich supply, and since they are so accessible people can download and use them easily. But despite the fact that this is the case, many users do not actually realise exactly how they work. Most casino gamers just know that their location is hidden and that they have an added level of security when using one, but there is more to it than just that.
If we are going to get slightly technical, a VPN is a private network that actually accesses other public networks to establish a secure connection, often in different locations. For example, you could use a VPN to connect to a public network in the UK even if you were actually located in a different country. And this is not uncommon at all!
Online casinos sometimes don't have the same excitement as other worldwide casinos, so the appeal of using a VPN is clear to see. So now that you know how VPNs actually work, you may be wondering how to locate a reliable VPN provider.
How to choose a VPN?
For the purposes of this article, we are assuming that you are contemplating using a VPN to access online casinos. So with this in mind, there are multiple factors that you need to check out before choosing a VPN provider.
- Cost
There are so many providers these days and technology has become so common that it is no longer an expensive thing. And there are so many providers out there that provide a subscription service for their VPNs, often for less than $10 a month for a top-quality provider. There really is no need to invest a lot of money to find the right VPN, for many of them share the same key features.
- Desired location availability
If you are someone from a different country who is intending to access online casinos in Canada, the USA, or the UK for example, you have to make sure that you can change your IP to these countries. This is the absolute first thing that you should check before signing up with any provider. If your desired countries are not available then there is absolutely no point in signing up with that provider.
- Device compatibility
Not all VPN providers can be used across all devices! There are some that can only be used on Android devices and some that can only be used on iOS devices. Double-check to make sure that the provider that you have in mind fits the bill for your device!
There is more than this that you should know about VPNs too.
VPNs are Safe
VPNs at online casinos ensure the protection of your data thanks to added encryptions and IP address masking. In the past, people have shared the impression that VPNs can open the floodgates for viruses and data breaches on their devices. However, this really couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, it is the exact opposite, because using a VPN helps to prevent hackers and information leaks.
VPNs are Untraceable
All VPNs are designed with anonymity as a top-level priority, and international VPNs follow the same principle. We won't go into exactly how VPNs retain the invisibility factor over the Internet, but we know that they work! This is all made possible thanks to high-tech encryptions that prevent the storage of an individual’s data. And as an added bonus, VPNs actually help to reduce the risk of viruses infecting your device thanks to further firewall protection.
VPNs bypass GEO Restrictions
As one of the most favourable features of VPNs, they allow you to completely skip past geographical restrictions that are present on certain websites - especially for online casinos! Online casinos aren't an issue since you are actually based in the country they are branded in and therefore allowed to use the site. However, accessing overseas online casinos can prove to be frustrating thanks to government intervention controlling what sites can be accessed from certain areas of the globe.
Plenty of casino users get annoyed with this fact, especially since gambling is evidently legal in the country of the online casino they want to access otherwise it wouldn't be available. Many believe that if gambling is legal in a country then the casino site should be accessible to players from overseas.
While we can't really agree or disagree, nor do we condone using VPNs to access casinos that you aren't really supposed to be using - VPNs certainly serve a purpose and can make players feel much more comfortable about surfing the web.
If you feel that you are ready to use a VPN for online casino play, conduct your own research and ensure your Internet protection today by downloading the right VPN software for you!
