Do I Need a VPN to Play Online Poker?
Some players use VPNs to play online poker; this is mainly to conceal their IP addresses and stay anonymous. VPN is an acronym for Virtual Private Network, and its purpose is to disguise internet users’ traffic data and to protect it from external access.
The main reason why most people use VPNs is that they could be playing in countries or states where online gambling might be prohibited.
When Should You Use VPN to Play Online Poker
You don’t necessarily need VPN to play online poker unless under certain circumstances. Here are some of the reasons you can use a VPN to play poker online:
When You Travel to a Country where Online Poker is Prohibited
If you already have an account with a certain poker site and want to continue playing on the account whilst you have travelled, you can use VPN. This is because even if you are located in a restricted country or state, you are not that location’s permanent resident. This validates your use of a VPN. However, it is important to go through the casinos’ terms to ensure you don’t end up in any undesirable situation.
How to Protect Your Data from Internet Service Providers (ISP) and the Government
You might want to protect your data from being accessed by your internet service providers. Internet Service Providers can gather your data and use it for various purposes. For example, ISPs can use consumer data to segment and serve targeted advertising on behalf of third parties, among other things.
To Protect Yourself from Cybercriminals
Cybercrime is a concerning issue among any internet user. Since VPN protects your data from external access, it can protect you from cybercriminals. However, this is not necessarily why you should use VPN to play online poker.
To Access Public Wi-Fi Securely
Using public Wi-Fi puts you at the risk of acquiring malware, Viruses, and Worms that hackers use to infiltrate your devices. Hackers are often cyber criminals that can use your data to solicit funds or for any vile reasons.
When Should You Not Use VPN to Play Online Poker
Although VPN is a great tool to protect yourself online, it is not always advisable to turn it on when playing online poker. This is for various reasons, but here are the main ones:
- When the use of VPN is restricted on the casino site you play on.
There was once a case when a poker player was stripped of a whopping $1.35 million prize for using VPN and ‘multi-accounting/ghosting’. This is why it is essential to read through the casino’s terms before playing using VPN to play. Only use VPN on poker casinos that do not restrict its usage.
- When you want to access a poker site that does not take players from your location.
Sometimes access from your location is restricted and you might feel like using VPN might be a great solution. This will not always work in your favour. Some payment providers might restrict you from accessing your funds when they discover that you are gambling from a restricted location.
