6 Best VPNs for Online Gambling and Sports Betting in 2023

Online gambling and betting are enjoying more players each passing year. That said, as a global industry revolving around sensitive activities, gambling and betting are often heavily regulated in many countries. This leads to some sites being blocked in certain countries or being unavailable due to a lack of licensing.

If you want to unblock a betting or gambling site, the best way to do so is to use a VPN. Plus, using a VPN won’t only unblock any site you want to access but keep you safe and protect your traffic from snoopers and malicious online users. We’ve prepared the best VPNs for gambling and betting online in 2023.

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Top 6 VPNs for Online Gambling and Sports Betting

1. NordVPN

If you want to spoof your location and obtain the best privacy and security protection, NordVPN is the supreme gambling VPN currently available. With over 5,500 servers in 60 countries, NordVPN is a top pick for any online gambler, no matter their real location. 

NordVPN delivers DNS leak protection and offers an in-house protocol called NordLynx. This protocol is especially advantageous for live gambling and sports betting, as it’s up to two times faster than other VPN protocols. And, you don’t have to adjust anything because this is the default protocol on all of its apps.

NordVPN can unblock any gambling and betting site out there. This unblocking ability also makes it a great VPN for streaming and accessing censored sites in general. Some of the most notable additional aspects of NordVPN’s service include obfuscated servers, split tunneling, kill switch protection, and a Threat Protection feature. 

You can set up NordVPN on a handful of devices you prefer gambling on, as this service supports up to six simultaneous connections per subscription. If you have a preferred country for online gambling, you can purchase a dedicated IP and ensure no one else besides you uses the specific VPN IP address.

2. Surfshark

With over 3,200 servers in nearly 100 countries, Surfshark can deliver fast speeds in any major gambling market you pick. It can unblock the most popular gambling sites and supports trusted protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2.

Surfshark has a Camouflage Mode feature that masks your VPN traffic into regular traffic. This makes it harder for gambling websites to detect VPN usage. This is far from the only advanced feature Surfshark offers. Other useful ones include NoBorders Mode, Bypasser, and CleanWeb.

Privacy-wise, Surfshark is one of the safest services around. It uses only RAM-based servers and has a zero-logs policy. Each server has private DNS and IP leak protection, and your connections are protected by a kill switch.

Surfshark supports unlimited simultaneous connections with every subscription plan. In addition, it offers some of the most affordable long-term plans you can find, meaning that it’s an excellent service for online gamblers that want maximum value for their money.

3. AtlasVPN

Atlas VPN has 750 servers in over 40 locations worldwide. All of its servers are optimized for maximum speed and support the WireGuard protocol. Additionally, every server has private DNS, so you can count on leak protection no matter which server region you connect to.

Apart from these features, Atlas VPN has a great privacy and security shield. The service blocks ads, trackers, and malware. It uses military-grade encryption, features a kill switch in its apps, and maintains a solid no-logs policy.

It is also very customizable. You can utilize split tunneling to only route your gambling website or app through the VPN server. Features like SafeSwap and MultiHop+ provide advanced benefits and bolster your anonymity. 

Like Surfshark, Atlas VPN comes with the advantage of allowing unlimited simultaneous connections. You can also set it up on any device you want, making it a very handy online gambling VPN.

4. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has a well-rounded network comprising over 200 server locations across 63 countries. This robust network allows PrivateVPN to offer fast connection speeds. This is especially important for users who want to play live online casino games, as these require fast and stable speeds. 

Moreover, as this service has an average uptime of 99.98%, you don’t have to worry about any connection drops while you’re enjoying your favorite gambling games and online poker. And, even if you experience a connection drop, you can rely on an advanced kill switch to cut off your network and protect your valuable data from leaking.

It’s an excellent and very stable VPN suitable for online gamblers that want a simple service. You can set it up on up to ten devices per subscription plan and use it on any OS platform you prefer. It supports Bitcoin payments, so you can remain completely anonymous when purchasing it.

5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has VPN servers in 94 countries. Each of its servers supports the provider’s Lightway protocol. This dynamic and lightweight protocol is particularly handy for mobile devices, as its fast and uses less battery power. This makes ExpressVPN one of the best mobile gambling VPNs you can get.

ExpressVPN is also very popular among online gamblers that want strong privacy protection features. Based in the British Virgin Islands, this VPN has been around for more than a decade and is one of the most reputable and trustworthy VPNs in the industry.

As the base service is already packed with advanced features, there aren’t many in-app settings for you to adjust. This ensures a smooth and streamlined experience but perhaps leaves advanced VPN users wanting more freedom.

ExpressVPN is a bit more expensive than our other recommendations. But, the quality of its service justifies it, as this VPN is very favorable for many other activities. ExpressVPN supports torrenting and P2P file sharing and can unblock all major streaming sites.

6. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a Romania-based VPN service with over 7,800 servers in 91 countries. It uses a healthy combination of both physical and virtual servers to cover 114 locations worldwide. It supports the WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 protocols.

This VPN has military-grade encryption, DNS and IP leak protection, and an automatic kill switch. You can connect up to seven devices simultaneously, and you aren’t limited in overall bandwidth or traffic. It doesn’t collect any identifiable data as it doesn’t keep any logs on its users.

CyberGhost offers above-average speeds, so you can enjoy betting on live sports events and playing live casino games without any lag or connection issues.  Moreover, its servers are optimized for streaming, enabling you to access popular streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and other major streaming sites.

CyberGhost tops the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee with its 45-day money-back guarantee, giving you more than enough time to test it and gamble online, entirely risk-free.

How to Pick the Best VPN for Online Gambling and Betting

Picking the best betting or gambling VPN isn’t as simple as just choosing a popular service or signing up with the first VPN you come across. A good gambling VPN should possess specific features that would allow it to provide a safe and private experience when you’re playing real money games. In this regard, here are the criteria we used when picking the top six VPNs for gambling and betting:

Privacy

If you’re playing from a location where online gambling and betting are illegal, a VPN with world-class privacy features is a must. Some of the essential privacy features a top-quality gambling VPN should possess include a strict no-logs policy as well as DNS and IP leak protection. 

Top gambling and sports betting VPNs go a step further and offer only RAM-based servers and undergo regular audits. Certainly, the VPN’s location is also important, as the service should preferably be based in a privacy-friendly country.

Security

Regardless if you’re playing on a local or offshore gambling site, a VPN’s security features can be very valuable. All of the VPNs we’ve recommended on this page boast strong security and can keep you safe from any online threats.

We’ve only highlighted services with strong features like military-grade encryption and kill switch protection. Additionally, some of our top gambling VPN recommendations also have some unique and advanced security features.

Unblocking Abilities

If you want to play when you’re abroad or access gambling and betting sites in other countries, you need a VPN powerful enough to unblock gambling websites. That way, you can be certain that you can always access your favorite games and that you’ll never get locked out with your funds frozen.

Speed and Servers

Having fast and reliable speed is a crucial feature of every gambling and sports betting VPN. No matter if you’re betting on live sports events or playing live casino games, you never want the site or app to lag. This will ruin your experience and potentially cost you a lot of money.

Moreover, the overall server selection is equally important. You want a solid selection of servers in countries where gambling and betting are legal and where you can find the best sites. All six VPNs we’ve recommended cover countries across the globe with their servers.  

Additional Features

The four criteria above are the most important ones to consider and shouldn’t be compromised on. That said, there are many other aspects that you should look for depending on your preferences. 

For instance, some online gamblers appreciate 24/7 customer service support. Others want comprehensive app support across major platforms. Some even heavily focus on the subscription price as the deciding factor. Whatever it may be, you should pick your gambling VPN accordingly.

How to Hide Gambling Transactions

If you use a payment method like wire transfer or credit/debit cards when depositing money to an online casino, you’re revealing a lot of identifiable information. More importantly, in the context of this guide, you’re exposing your actual location. In case you’re playing at an online platform abroad, this could lead to an account block.

To go a step further, even if this isn’t an inherent issue if you’re not playing on an offshore site, it could still cause you problems on other fronts. For example, in the US and many other countries worldwide, having gambling transactions show up in your bank account can negatively affect your mortgage application.

Knowing all of this, it’s best to stay on the safe side and hide as much as you can when performing financial transactions to and from the online casino. With that in mind, here are a couple of ways to hide your gambling transactions:

Use PayPal

PayPal is an excellent intermediary choice you can use to deposit and withdraw money from gambling and sports betting sites. It’s a trusted payment processor, and your bank will only see the transactions to and from PayPal.

With that said, keep in mind that PayPal isn’t anonymous. It’s true that you’re hiding your gambling transactions. But, if authorities come to PayPal with a request to report your transactions, this payment provider will still provide them with identifiable information.

Use Cryptocurrencies

The more anonymous way to perform gambling transactions online is to use cryptocurrencies. An increasing number of online gambling and sports betting sites offer this option. 

Many crypto gambling sites don’t even require you to verify your identity. So for maximum privacy and financial anonymity, consider using cryptocurrencies alongside using a VPN for online gambling.

Nevertheless, there are some potential drawbacks to consider, just like with PayPal. Cryptocurrencies are generally very volatile, and you’re adding an additional risk element to your gambling activities.

How to Gamble and Bet with a VPN

If you’re wondering if you can use a VPN to bet on sports and online casino games, the answer is yes! Using a VPN for gambling is the most practical way to stay safe on local gambling sites and sportsbooks and unblock platforms abroad.

Some sports betting sites and online gambling platforms also offer apps that you can download and play natively, avoiding using your browser. The setup process doesn’t differ much from the above-listed steps when using a VPN for betting this way. Just be sure to connect to a VPN server before starting the app.

In most cases, you’ll have no problems accessing the service with a gambling or sports betting VPN. However, if you find that you still can’t access gambling sites, consider changing the VPN protocol or adjusting other settings in the VPN app. If this doesn’t help you gain access, contact the VPN’s customer support for additional assistance.

Free VPNs for Sports Betting and Online Gambling

Most free VPNs for sports betting and online gambling offers disappointing performance and aren’t worth the trouble. There are several reasons why you should avoid using free VPNs for gambling online.

From the perspective of the overall user experience, a free VPN for gambling online will often be of poor quality. It will only have a handful of servers, most often riddled with below-average speeds and connection problems.

On an even more serious note, a free Virtual Private Network can pose a massive security risk. Over the years, many free VPNs have been busted for using tracking software, logging user activity, and even selling user data. What’s more, some free VPNs have been found to inject malware into their users’ devices.

So, this long list of issues provides more than enough arguments why free VPNs for betting and gambling online are unsuitable. However, there is one way that you can use a free VPN to gamble online. This is to sign up with a freemium service. A freemium VPN offers both paid and free plans, with the latter available in a limited capacity but often for unlimited subscription periods.

In this regard, Atlas VPN is the best VPN for gambling that you can use for free. You can sign up for free, switch between three servers, and take advantage of unlimited bandwidth. Moreover, you can count on great security and privacy features. You can use it on as many devices as you want. That way, you can access online sports betting and gambling websites from any platform you prefer.

Where is Online Gambling Legal?

Sports betting and gambling in 2023 are more popular than ever before. However, this doesn’t mean that gambling websites are legal worldwide. So to give you a better perspective of the countries where online gambling might be legal or illegal, we want to go a bit deeper into the matter.

Is Online Gambling and Betting Legal in the US?

The US is perhaps the most unique and interesting case when it comes to countries where online gambling is uncertain. This is because the US is a massive country comprising 50 states, each with its regulation and laws regarding online betting and gambling sites.

This leads to many uncertainties, so much so that some states legalize online sports betting but don’t legalize online gambling, and vice versa. So, to give you the most comprehensive overview, we want to separately highlight US states where gambling sites are legal and states where betting sites are legal.

The US States Where Online Gambling is Legal

Tracking the online gambling industry in the US is fairly easy, as gambling activities are only available in six US states. The six US states where online gambling is legal are Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

If your state is not on the list, gambling is illegal in your location. In such a case, the only way to access gambling sites securely is to use one of our recommended best VPNs for gambling.

The US States Where Online Sports Betting is Legal

Sports betting is more popular in the US and is generally available in many more states than online gambling. More precisely, sports betting is legal in more than two dozen states. However, it’s important to note that some of these only legalize retail sports betting (in-person betting). That said, sports betting online is available in the following US states:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

As with online casinos, if you don’t find your state on this list, the only way to access a sports betting site is to use a VPN. Additionally, online betting on sports in Florida is in a bit of legal limbo, as it is currently paused and will likely be illegal in the future.

The Legality of Online Gambling Worldwide

The legality of online gambling can vary significantly, even between neighboring states. While some countries allow all forms of online gambling and sports betting, others ban such activities or control them through state monopolies. In light of this, here’s a shortlist of countries where online gambling and sports betting are controlled by the state or outright illegal:

• Cambodia
• Kuwait
• North Korea
• Poland (Restricted by state monopoly)
• Russia
• Singapore (Only allowed through specific operators)
• Turkey (Only the state-owned IDDAA is permitted to offer gambling content)
• UAE
• Qatar

In addition to these countries, many other countries worldwide have specific online gambling regulations you should know of. For instance, UK citizens can only play on sites with a UKGC license. On the other hand, Australians can’t legally play at any local websites but can use a VPN for online gambling to play on offshore online casinos and betting sites.

Considering everything above, while we’ve put great effort and research to bring you the latest and most accurate information, you shouldn’t take this guide as legal advice. Playing in a location where online gambling is illegal can lead to financial repercussions or worse. So, always read up on the legality of online gambling in your specific location before playing.

Best Online Gambling and Betting Websites/Apps

Even if you use a VPN to enhance your safety and privacy, you should primarily look for online casinos that are licensed and allowed to operate in your location. With hundreds of online betting and gambling sites, finding one for your location shouldn’t be difficult, provided it’s legal to gamble online in your country. To help you out, we want to share some of the best online gambling and betting sites and apps:

• Betfair
• Bet365
• PokerStars
• Roobet
• Stake
• LeoVegas
• Paddy Power
• Bitstarz

When assessing sites, it’s useful to look at their licenses, as these can provide you with a lot of information. For example, some licenses allow gambling sites only to operate in certain countries. Moreover, certain licenses are more prestigious than others, meaning that a casino site that has it is more trustworthy and reliable. 

The most reputable online gambling and betting licensing authorities in the world are the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. They are followed by Curacao and Gibraltar authorities as two less renowned but still trustworthy licensing bodies.

Gambling VPN FAQs

Is it safe to use a VPN for gambling?

Using a VPN on gambling and betting websites is generally safe. That said, the safety and legality of using a VPN for gambling also depend on your location. If using a VPN is against the site’s T&Cs, or, even more seriously, gambling is illegal in your location, you could get in trouble for breaking the law.

For example, in restrictive countries like the United Arab Emirates, playing online poker and using online gambling sites is illegal. So, if you want to use a VPN to gamble or bet online from the UAE, be aware that you could get fined or face jail time for breaking the country’s gambling laws.

Can I use a VPN on bet365?

Yes, you can use a VPN to sports bet and gamble online on bet365. Nevertheless, not every VPN will unblock this gambling and betting site. So, make sure to only stick to the best VPNs for gambling and betting that we’ve featured in this guide.

Can casinos and betting sites detect VPNs?

Many online casinos and betting sites don’t pay much attention to VPN users. However, some sites use certain detecting tools to sniff out gambling VPN services. So, if you use a VPN for sports betting on a site that disapproves of it, know that your account could be suspended or terminated if you get caught.

However, while this sounds worrying, whether or not you get caught primarily depends on the service you use to access the gambling or betting site. Some VPNs have obfuscation features that mask VPN server traffic and make it harder for gambling websites to detect them.

Can you use a VPN to bet on DraftKings?

Yes, you can use a VPN to bet on DraftKings. While this super-popular online betting site tries to prevent VPN users, a good deal of betting VPNs still work on it. If you use one of our six recommended VPNs for gambling and betting sites, you can count on unrestricted access to DraftKings, no matter where you are.

Can I use Roobet with a VPN?

Yes, Roobet doesn’t restrict its users from employing a VPN to gain access to their gambling site. According to this crypto casino, you can use a VPN on Roobet as long as gambling is allowed in your country.

Can I use Betfair with a VPN?

Yes, you can use a VPN service to gamble on Betfair. Although Betfair is known for blocking IP addresses, this shouldn’t be an issue with a reliable gambling VPN. What’s more, if you use a dedicated IP address you get from a VPN, the chances of getting blocked by Betfair are minimal.

Can I use a VPN to bet on FanDuel?

Yes, you can engage in gambling and sport betting with a VPN for FanDuel. FanDuel is currently only available in just over a dozen US states. So, using a VPN to access this gambling site from 30+ US states and other countries abroad is the best way to reliably gamble and bet on this platform.

Can I use a VPN to gamble online on Stake?

Yes, Stake is one of the more popular betting sites that accept VPN services. Regardless, to ensure a smooth and issue-free online gambling experience, you should use one of our recommended Stake VPNs. We’ve tested and proven these services to work with this online gambling provider.

Conclusion

Using a VPN for gambling and sports betting provides you with numerous advantages. It enables you to play from anywhere on any site of your choice. Moreover, it protects your connection and keeps you private when playing at your favorite online casinos.

Of course, you should keep in mind that using a VPN can still lead to your account getting blocked or even get you into legal problems. To avoid these potential issues, it’s key to use a capable VPN that has a proven track record of accessing the most popular gambling websites.

To ensure this, you can use any of our six top gambling VPNs. We’ve tested each to guarantee a safe and worry-free gambling and betting experience. Still, if you want the best VPN for online gambling and betting, NordVPN is our top recommendation.