Geo-Fencing Failures: VPNs and Their Win Impact

Casinos have never been as accessible as they are today. All you have to do is open your web browser, type in the name of your desired venue, read our OCR casino review, and go to town. Well, at least in theory. As we are sure you have noticed, more and more casinos are limiting their service to specific geos. This so-called geo-fencing is becoming increasingly annoying, which is why VPNs are a must for any freedom-loving punter. However, what are the consequences of using a VPN? Are you unable to withdraw your winnings? Can your account be randomly closed? Join us as we answer these and other vital questions that might just make you rethink your VPN gambling.

Your Digital Mask

Your identity in the digital world is not just the email associated with your account; it also includes a few verification steps. Each of your smart devices have what is called a "MAC" address. The latter is a 12-character alphanumeric attribute that identifies your specific device. A very simple example would be 00-B0-D0-63-C2-26. It is this identity that your device has no matter how many layers of IP rerouting you use.

IP rerouting is essentially what every VPN is based on. What it means in practice is that you hide your internet address by connecting to other addresses and pretending that those are your real one. The entire process relies on a series of servers and switches, usually based in other countries. However, some services do not hide this routing fully. This is why your VPN might not work on some of the more technologically-advanced casinos that track your IP address fully.

VPN Surfing for Bonuses

Among the most common reasons for players choosing to play with a VPN are region-exclusive bonuses. These handy promotions range from deposit matching to no deposit bonuses, free spins, and even cashbacks. Using a VPN to access these better deals is a no-brainer, with punters actively sharing exciting promotions in foreign countries, where wagering is relatively cheaper. However, bonuses are not the only limitation that punters are trying to bypass.

Trying Limited Games

Nothing is more annoying than seeing an exciting new slot launch, but not having access to it in your country. This is by far the worst geo-fencing that game developers and casinos do. However, it is understandable from their perspective. Some games are simply not approved in certain regions, with game or game developer approval being reliant on gambling authorities.

This is where VPNs and their jumping over digital fences come in. A VPN will and does help you access these locked away games by having your machine pretend that it is in a country, where the game is available. However, this puts both the player and the casinos into a considerable legal grey zone.

The KYC Wall and Other Drawbacks

The most obvious drawback for any player that uses VPNs to play at otherwise inaccessible casinos is the potential of having your jackpot or other win be voided. If a casino catches wind of your VPN access, they might simply make your winnings null as a penalty for breaking the geo rules. Moreover, a regulator might find the casino’s operations odd as it is not supposed to service punters from banned geos. This may lead to licensing issues, suspensions, and other issues down the line.

A major issue that punters who make it to the finish line with their winnings face is proving their identity. If you, for example, played with a VPN in a Canadian casino, but your identification documents list Germany as your home country, you may trigger some alerts. While talking to customer support and being sneaky, specifically claiming immigration or emigration, might work, you might also be penalized with:

• An Account Freeze – Your account might be locked until you can provide local identification documents.
• Blacklisting – Your email or some other identifier may be banned from the entire casino network, including associated venues in your home country.
• Win Confiscation – Your winnings may be confiscated by the casino, which would put them in a limbo rather than making them void. Getting out of such a limbo will require local identification documents.
• An Unexpected Block – You may have VPN access to depositing features, but face stricter VPN control during withdrawals. The latter might not be breakable, making your funds permanently stuck at your casino of choice.

Is There Any Victorious VPN Path?

Yes, there sure is! If you consider VPN play to simply be a way for you to access otherwise locked games, go for it! However, limit your expectations. Do not expect to withdraw any of your winnings or use the VPN-based account forever. Casinos are, after all, fighting back.

Casinos vs. VPNs

We have already explained why casinos are keen on preventing VPN-based gambling, as it is a direct breach of regulatory oversight and gaming licenses. But how are casinos fighting back? Well, the answers are both simple and complicated.

The most common tools that they use are AI-driven identity verification, keystroke pattern recognition, and VPN detection software. The AI is used to process large amounts of data, finding odd differences between your sessions and those of locals. Keystroke pattern recognition is used to identify foreign keyboard, as their layout is slightly different. And VPN detection software does what it says on the tin. While there is currently not a single solution to break your VPN access and completely geo-fence games, there are some solutions that work surprisingly effectively.

Regardless of how casinos decide to fight back and which drawbacks VPN gaming has, there is nothing particularly wrong with it as long as you are not breaking any laws and playing within your limits, of course. Check out our lists of recommended online casinos and join the fun today, with or without a VPN!