Using a VPN for to play online poker is a perfect solution to keep your online activities private and prevent third parties from gaining access to important data such as your credentials. Moreover, with a VPN you can access popular online poker sites with georestrictions.
Although online gambling is banned in many countries and most states of the U.S., a VPN lets you enter online poker sites nevertheless. However, it is important to use a reliable provider so online poker sites can’t detect you are using a VPN. That’s why we have made this list with the best VPNs for online poker!
How to Play Online Poker With a VPN
To play online poker with a VPN (Virtual Private Network), you need to follow these steps:
- Subscribe to a premium VPN-service with reliable servers. We recommend NordVPN.
- Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
- Perfect for privacy and streaming
- Trusted by many, with over 14 million users
- Download NordVPN’s software.
- Open NordVPN and sign in with the credentials created in step 1.
- Make sure you turn on the kill switch.
- Connect to an obfuscated server in a country that doesn’t ban online poker, such as Mexico or the United Kingdom.
- Go to your favorite poker site and play some Texas Hold’em!
What to Look For in a VPN For Online Poker
If you are looking for a VPN to play online poker, it is important to choose a secure VPN with excellent unblocking abilities. We recommend checking the following features of the VPN you would like to purchase:
- Security features: To keep your online activities and real location private, you will need a VPN with military grade encryption, DNS leak protection and a proper kill switch.
- Unblocking abilities: To unblock gambling sites from anywhere, a VPN needs to offer either obfuscated servers or dedicated IP addresses.
- Privacy policy: To make sure third parties can’t get access to your account, a no logs policy is indispensable.
- Speed: To play Texas Hold’em without lag, a VPN provider with excellent speed is essential.
- Server locations: To unblock online poker sites, always check if a service has VPN servers in countries or states that allow online gambling.
Please note:
A VPN does not make illegal things legal. It is your own responsibility to act in accordance with the law of your country and the Terms of Service of the poker site you are using.
Best VPNs For Online Poker
We have tested more than 80 VPNs extensively. Based on our experience, we have selected the best VPNs for online poker games.
NordVPN: best VPN for online poker
Works with: PokerStars, 88Poker, GGPoker, Betway Poker, BetOnline, PartyPoker, Americas Cardroom
Among the best VPNs for online poker, NordVPN is the royal straight flush: during our test, NordVPN didn’t fail us once. NordVPN has 6441 servers in 111 countries including Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom, giving you plenty options for unblocking poker sites.
You can select special obfuscated servers to hide your VPN activities, preventing online poker sites to discover that you are using a VPN. If these obfuscated servers aren’t enough, NordVPN also offers dedicated IP addresses. This makes NordVPN also a good VPN to access stake casino.
NordVPN puts your privacy first. This provider has a no logs policy. Since NordVPN uses RAM-only servers, the company can’t store any data about your online activities. For extra security, NordVPN also offers Threat Protection, keeping you safe from trackers and malware. That’s very convenient if you might enter an unreliable online poker site.
Pros
- Strict no log VPN to keep your online activities private
- RAM-only servers make sure NordVPN can’t store any information about you
- Offers obfuscated servers for reliably unblocking gambling sites
- Offers dedicated IP’s
- Threat Protection keeps you safe on unreliable poker sites
- 10 simultaneous connections
- 30-day money-back-guarantee
Cons
- Sign in is only possible in browser
With NordVPN, you don’t have to gamble: you can try this provider for free for 30 days by using the money-back-guarantee. The VPN has a very fair and affordable price of $ 3.39 a month.
Surfshark: fast VPN for online poker
Works with: PokerStars, 88Poker, GGPoker, Betway Poker, PartyPoker, Americas Cardroom
Surfshark has a lot to offer for someone who’s looking for a VPN to play online poker. We can sincerely state that Surfshark’s features make a full house. First of all, this provider has an impressive server fleet of 3200+ servers. These servers all have an excellent speed allowing you to play poker online without lag.
Second of all, Surfshark has a lot of features which are great to access online poker websites. Let’s start with the NoBorders mode to bypass georestrictions and the rotating IP’s to prevent VPN blocks. Long before online poker sites detect a certain IP address belongs to a VPN server, you will already have another IP address.
Lastly, your data will be perfectly safe with Surfshark, due to it’s no logs policy and RAM only servers. If that doesn’t provide enough safety for you, you can go for double encryption with the Surfshark’s multi-hop feature or upgrade to Surfshark One, to be protected against malware.
Pros
- No logs policy to protect your online privacy
- NoBorders mode to bypass georestrictions
- Surfshark One protects you against malware
- Dedicated IP’s to unblock poker sites reliably
- Rotating IP’s to prevent VPN blocks from gambling sites
- Unlimited number of connections
- 30-day money-back-guarantee
Cons
- Doesn’t offer split tunneling for iOS
Surfshark is now available with a 86% discount. You can give Surfshark a try risk-free by using the 30-day money-back-guarantee.
CyberGhost: affordable VPN for online poker
Works with: PokerStars, 88Poker, GGPoker, Betway Poker, PartyPoker, Americas Cardroom
CyberGhost for sure knows some chip tricks when it comes to unblocking poker sites. This provider has servers in 100 countries which is perfect for playing poker online.
Although CyberGhost doesn’t have obfuscated VPN servers, the provider does offer dedicated IP’s. These are the perfect solution to access online poker platforms. If you choose a dedicated IP, you will be the only one using that IP address, which makes it very difficult for poker sites to detect VPN usage.
Even though CyberGhost is a no log VPN with RAM-only servers, we do recommend using CyberGhost’s NoSpy-servers. Not only are these servers faster, they are also managed by CyberGhost, giving third parties no chance to intervene.
Pros
- Dedicated IP’s to reliably unblock poker sites
- No logs policy to keep your activities private
- NoSpy servers for extra protection
- RAM-only servers to make sure no data is stored
- Budget-friendly
- 7 similtaneous connections
- 45-day money-back-guarantee
Cons
- Logs connection attempts and frequency of use
CyberGhost is one of the most budget-friendly VPN’s. For only $ 2.19 a month you are protected online. CyberGhost also offers a very generous money-back-guarantee of 45 days.
PIA: privacy-friendly VPN for online poker
Works with: PokerStars, 88Poker, GGPoker, Betway Poker, PartyPoker, Americas Cardroom
Private Internet Access (PIA) is a VPN provider with a focus on privacy and security. During our test, PIA could unblock most of the poker sites we have visited. Private Internet Access offers 35000 VPN servers to do so.
If PIA’s normal servers won’t give you access, you can use PIA’s multi-hop feature combined with a shadowsocks proxy which masks the use of a VPN. In addition, PIA also offers dedicated IP addresses. In other words, PIA for sure knows how to wear a poker face.
PIA is a secure and no log VPN. When you visit an unreliable online poker platform, you will notice that PIA’s MACE-function keeps you safe from trackers and malware. All in all, Private Internet Access has a lot to offer for everyone looking for the best VPN for poker.
Pros
- Multi-hop and shadowsocks for obfuscation and unblocking
- Dedicated IP’s for the best poker face
- No logs policy to keep your online activity private
- PIA MACE protects you against malicious poker sites
- Budget-friendly provider
- Unlimited number of connections
- 30-day money-bacj-guarantee
Cons
- Dashboard disappears if you are not using the app
Private Internet Access is very affordable. If you decide now, you can use our special deal which gives you a 82% discount. If you are not satisfied, you can get your money back if you cancel within the first 30 days.
ExpressVPN: user-friendly VPN for online poker
Works with: PokerStars, 88Poker, GGPoker, Betway Poker, PartyPoker
The bubble boy in our list of best VPNs for online poker is ExpressVPN. This provider didn’t unblock all poker sites we have tested, but we still managed to get access to a lot of sites. For unblocking, ExpressVPN provides thousands of servers in 105 countries, including obfuscated servers.
ExpressVPN has a no logs policy and frequent audits prove this company stays true to its privacy policy. What’s more, to keep its users safe, ExpressVPN has a Threat Manager, which blocks trackers and malicious sites. We advise to turn these features on when you want to visit online poker sites.
ExpressVPN is the most expensive VPN in our list, but is also very user-friendly. If you have never used a VPN before, ExpressVPN is a good choice. You can connect very easily to any server with the big button in the app.
Pros
- Obfuscated server for reliably unblocking poker sites
- No logs policy to keep your gambling activities private
- Threat manager to block malicious poker sites
- User-friendly apps
- 8 similtaneous connections
- 30-day money-back-guarantee
If you decide now, you can get a massive discount of 49% on ExpressVPN. If you change your mind, you can get your money back if you cancel within 30 days.
How We Tested These VPNs for Online Poker
To see which VPNs are most suited to play online poker, we have tested and checked the following abilities and features:
- Unblocking: we have tested each VPN with 7 different popular poker sites to check if the VPN can indeed unblock each of them. The results of these test are below.
- Speed: we have done an extensive speed test for each VPN to check ping, download speed and upload speed. You can find the results in our reviews.
- Server locations: we have only included VPNs on our list with a huge server network including servers in countries where online poker is legal.
- Compatibility: to make it to our list, a VPN needs to have software and apps for Windows, iOS, Android and MacOS, to make sure you can play poker online on any device.
- Privacy policy: we understand you want to keep your online gambling activities private. That’s why all VPNs on our list are certified no log VPNs.
- Security features: not all poker sites are reliable. That’s why we have chosen VPNs with additional security features such as NordVPN’s Threat Protection.
- Price: needless to say, we have elected VPNs which are affordable and ask a fair price for their services. Each of them has a money-back-guarantee, so you can give them a try without any financial risk.
Online poker sites tested with a VPN
We have tested several popular online poker sites with our top 5 VPNs while connected to a server in the United Kingdom. These are the results:
| Poker site | NordVPN | Surfshark | CyberGhost | PIA | ExpressVPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PokerStars | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 888Poker | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| GGPoker | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Betway Poker* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BetOnline* | ✔ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ | ✖ |
| PartyPoker | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Americas Cardroom | ✔ ** | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
*To register, you need to provide an address. This means you can use this site while travelling if you already have an account. However, you can’t create an account if you are a resident of a country where online poker is illegal.
** Although you can access Americas Cardroom with NordVPN, it gets flagged by NordVPN’s Threat Protection as a suspicious website.
Countries Where Playing Online Poker is Legal
To unblock poker sites, it is important to know in which countries online poker is legal. We suggest choosing a server nearby your actual location from this list:
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chili
- Germany (only in Schleswig-Holstein)
- Gibraltar
- France
- Isle of Man
- Poland
- Malta
- Mexico
- The Netherlands
- Nigeria
- United Kingdom
- Tanzania
Although online poker is legal according to local laws in these countries, that doesn’t mean all poker sites are available in each of them. Most countries require online casino companies to be licensed. This means you might have to try server locations to get access.
For example, in the Netherlands, only 20 online casinos are licensed for only gambling, from which GGPoker is the only one specialized in online poker.
Tips for Playing Online Poker With A VPN
Most online poker sites try to block VPNs by detecting which IP addresses belong to a VPN server. This results in a cat and mouse game between providers and gambling sites. The best VPN providers change their IP addresses often, so users can keep visiting gambling sites and other georestricted content.
As a result of this cat and mouse game, you might not always get access to poker sites. We have some tips to get access easily:
- Make sure you turn the VPN on before you visit the poker site to avoid giving away your own IP address.
- Use an incognito screen so the poker site can’t use cookies to gather additional information about your whereabouts.
- Turn on the kill switch to make sure your location stays hidden during technical hick-ups.
- Use obfuscated servers or stealth-protocol to hide that you are using a VPN.
- Buy a dedicated IP so your IP address won’t be flagged as belonging to a VPN server.
- Use cryptocurrency to make payments, so your location can’t be exposed through your bank account.
Is It Safe to Play Online Poker With a VPN?
In most countries, such as the United States, it is legal to use a VPN. Using a VPN however might go against the Terms of Service of poker sites. If that’s the case, getting caught using a VPN might have the following consequences:
- Your account can get banned.
- You can get fines and penalties.
- You might not be able to claim your winnings, since this requires verifying your identity.
All in all, playing poker online with a VPN is a gamble.
Recap: Best VPNs For Online Poker
To access poker sites regardless of your location, you will need a VPN with excellent unblocking abilities. We have tested more than 80 VPN’s and can conclude that NordVPN is the best option to play Hold’em online. Obfuscated servers, dedicated IP’s, excellent speed, a certified no logs policy and Threat Protection create a straight royal flush!
Want to do more online gambling? Check out these articles:
Frequently Asked Questions – Best VPNs For Online Poker
Do you have any questions about the best VPNs for online poker? Check out our frequently asked questions.
Can I use a VPN to play online poker?
You can use a VPN to play online poker. Actually, it is a good idea to play poker with a VPN to keep your internet traffic private and to avoid georestrictions. We recommend NordVPN‘s obfuscated servers to unblock poker sites from anywhere.
Using a VPN might go against the Term of Service of a gambling site. It’s your own responsibility to check these terms before accessing a site with a VPN.
How to setup a VPN for online poker
You can set up a VPN for online poker with the following steps:
- Subscribe to a reliable VPN provider, such as NordVPN.
- Download the VPN software.
- Open the VPN app and sign in.
- Turn on the kill switch.
- Connect to an obfuscated server in a country where online gambling is legal.
- Now you are ready for a game of Texas Hold’em!
Can online poker sites detect VPNs?
Online poker sites can detect VPNs. Therefore it is important to use a VPN with obfuscated servers that mask the fact that you are using a VPN. Our #1 VPN for playing poker is NordVPN.
Is it illegal to use a VPN to play poker?
Using a VPN is legal in most Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. However, using a VPN might go against the Terms of Service of a specific poker site.
Can I play GGPoker in the U.S. with a VPN?
You can play GGPoker in the U.S. with a VPN. We were able to access GGPoker with NordVPN’s obfuscated servers without any problems. You might also try NordVPN’s dedicated IP’s to access GGPoker.
Can Pokerstars detect VPNs?
Pokerstar can detect VPNs. That why we recommend to access Pokerstars with one of the best VPNs for online poker. These VPNs offer either obfuscated servers or dedicated IPs. Both are ideal to mask the fact that you are using a VPN and get access to Pokerstar nevertheless.
Does 888 Poker allow VPNs?
The Terms of Service of 888Poker do not mention anything about the use of VPNs. In other words, VPNs are allowed. Please do note that you need to verify your identity to gain your winnings.
