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How to Bet Online Abroad? Unblock All Bookmakers From Anywhere

How To Bet Online Abroad
© 01net.com

With the inception of online betting, people are decreasingly visiting physically located bookmakers. Betting online is very easy and you can place bets on your favorite teams from the comfort of your home, be it on a mobile phone or a computer.

The downside to this trend is that betting/gambling websites are often blocked. As you know, laws and regulations in this sense are a bit complex, and betting sites need licenses, due to which, they tend to block people from some countries and allow people from particular regions.

For this reason, many people want to know how to bet online abroad and unblock online bookmakers outside of their country. The good news is that this isn’t impossible, and in this guide, I’ll explain how to unblock several popular bookmakers and gambling sites with no issues.

How to Bet Online Abroad in a Minute?

Betting websites are usually geo-restricted due to their licenses. They’re allowed to operate in particular countries, which prevents people abroad from accessing them. However, you can use a VPN to bet online abroad and unblock your favorite sites.

A VPN can change your IP to another country, thereby, letting you access sites that would otherwise be inaccessible. Our team prefers NordVPN because of its 65+% discount with a couple of free months for the 24-month plan and 111 countries to pick from.

So, how to bet online abroad? Here’s the trick!

  1. Subscribe to a VPN for betting/gambling. NordVPN will be more than great.
  2. Install a VPN on your device and open the application.
  3. Sign in to the app by using your credentials.
  4. Connect to a VPN server in the country where the betting site you want to access is available. (example: Betfair works in the UK, and so on…)
  5. Go to the site you want to access, sign in, and start betting safely.

Visit NordVPN

Disclaimer: don’t bet online abroad if betting is illegal in your country. It’s against the law with and without a VPN. Inform yourself about betting regulations in your country to ensure you don’t violate any laws.

Why Are Betting Sites Blocked?

Let me start off by addressing the elephant in the room. If you’re trying to access websites like bet365, Betfair, or any other popular bookie abroad, you’ll most likely come across a geo-restriction message that looks like this.

Betfair Geo Restriction Message
© Betfair

As you can see, in my country, I can’t access Betfair because I’m not located in the UK where this bookmaker is available. However, the same principle will apply to any other geo-restricted betting site in any other country, so it’s not just this one.

When asking how to bet online abroad, the main question is – why are online bookmakers geo-restricted? As said, betting sites have a variety of betting licenses that allow them to provide betting services only to users in particular countries.

If you’re not located in a country where the site is allowed to provide services, you’ll simply see an error message similar to the one above. Another reason why you can’t bet on particular sites can also be due to your country’s laws regarding betting.

For example, in countries like North Korea, Brunei, and the UAE, any form of betting is considered ILLEGAL. If you’re in a country where betting is illegal, please do NOT use the trick that I will show you because you’re going to cross into the other side of the law.

We on 01net.com don’t condone or encourage any such behavior and we won’t applaud you for violating your country’s laws. In fact, we will be highly disappointed with that. Respect your country’s laws and indulge in gambling and betting only if they’re considered legal.

Let’s get back to the subject. Taking a look at the screenshot above, we can see that Betfair even displays my IP address, which I’ve hidden for obvious reasons.

But knowing my IP address means that the site knows where I’m located and since my IP doesn’t belong to the UK, I’m prevented from accessing the website. The trick to betting online abroad and unblocking any betting site you want is to alter your IP address to another country.

This way, you fool the website into thinking you’re located in a country where it’s available, which lets you access it no matter where you’re located.

How to Bet Online Abroad Using a VPN?

Using a VPN is a great way of changing your IP address to another country and bypassing geo-restrictions. Don’t know what a VPN is? Well, here’s a full explanation of the VPN definition. Basically, it’s a service that allows you to hide your IP and replace it with a new one in another country.

As such, any site you visit will see only your new IP located elsewhere, which is a base for unblocking geo-restricted online bookmakers. So, to bet online abroad, you’ll need to use a VPN, but not just any VPN. I recommend NordVPN for this purpose, and very soon, you’ll see why.

Let me guide you through the steps and show you how to bet online abroad.

1. Get a VPN

As stated, NordVPN is our provider of choice for those who love betting online. This provider comes with 6,300+ servers in 111 countries and even more cities, meaning that it’s the most suitable for unblocking a wide variety of online bookies and casinos.

While NordVPN isn’t free, it offers a few great incentives. For example, its two-year plan is discounted by more than 65% currently and NordVPN frequently gives you a few free months on top of that, so you pay for 24 months and get at least 27 months in total.

Next, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee for this, but also ALL other plans that it offers, meaning that you can always get a full refund in the first 30 days of your purchase with no specific conditions. If you’re interested, I recommend using the red button to claim this special discount on this VPN.

Get NordVPN’s 65+% Discount

Simply click on it, choose a plan, and follow the steps. The entire process lasts no more than 3 minutes.

2. Install a VPN on Your Device

NordVPN works on all devices you can think of, meaning that it can be installed on platforms like Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android. I’ve chosen this provider because it offers identical apps for all of these platforms, so this tutorial will apply regardless of your device.

We’re using Windows as my main platform, so in this case, we’ve downloaded a setup file from its website after subscription. After that, we ran the setup file and followed the on-screen steps to complete the installation. Once again, this takes approximately 30 seconds, which is blazing fast.

After that, you need to open the app and sign in, after which, the dashboard of NordVPN will appear.

Nordvpn Windows App Update
© 01net.com

The app looks the same even on iOS or Android, by the way, so follow Step 3 to see how to bet online abroad.

3. Change Your IP to Another Country

Now, you’ll need to connect to a server in a country where the bookmaker/casino you want is available. Since NordVPN is a great VPN for the UK, I will get a UK IP address in this case, but in the next step, I’ll show you multiple examples of unblocked online bookies in different countries.

To do that, I’ll simply open the server list, scroll down, and find the UK. With a single click on the UK, I can connect to this country’s server and obtain a British IP.

Nordvpn Uk Ip
© 01net.com

Once NordVPN displays the “Connected” message in green, it’s an indication that the connection is established.

4. Enjoy Betting Online Abroad

With a new IP in place, you will be able to access foreign betting sites with no issues. Just keep in mind that registering a new account on geo-blocked betting sites can be tricky. Therefore, this guide is for those who already have an account on a betting site that is blocked in a country abroad.

For instance, if you’re from the UK and you have an account on Betfair, and you travel to another country, the site will be blocked. But because you already have an account, you’ll still be able to bet online abroad on this site and deposit/withdraw money.

Nevertheless, I successfully unblocked Betfair using NordVPN – take a look:

Nordvpn Betfair
© NordVPN

Next, I also used my IP address from the United Kingdom to unblock another popular bookmaker Sky Bet:

Nordvpn Sky Bet
© 01net.com

Switching to the Canadian server in NordVPN, you can also unblock a site like Betano, for example.

Nordvpn Betano
© 01net.com

Finally, when connected to an Australian VPN server with NordVPN, I can also successfully access Sportsbet, an Australian betting site.

Nordvpn Sportsbet
© 01net.com

This trick will work on all geo-restricted bookmakers but I showed you 4 of them to avoid making this guide too long. Also, you can perform the trick using not only NordVPN but ExpressVPN and CyberGhost as well. However, we used this service because it’s the best out of the three.

Best VPN for Betting & Gambling Online Abroad

Betting abroad with a VPN isn’t always going to work, especially if we talk about low-quality VPNs that aren’t capable of bypassing geo-blocks effectively. Here’s my list of the best VPNs for this purpose for limitless betting regardless of your location.

1. NordVPN

NordVPN Unblock Sites
© NordVPN

Pros

  • Threat Protection (anti-malware, antivirus, and ad blocker)
  • Private DNS offers additional privacy
  • Double VPN servers
  • Can be used in China with obfuscated servers
  • 10 simultaneous connections

Cons

  • Some countries are subject to VAT (increased price)
  • Very rare connectivity issues on Windows

If you don’t live under a rock, chances are NordVPN is a familiar product. NordVPN has 6,300+ servers in more than 110+ countries, with rock-solid security, and a certified zero-logging policy. For passionate betting lovers, this provider has everything you need to bet safely, securely, and anonymously, which is why it’s our #1 pick.

In addition, its servers are capable of unblocking any geo-restricted online bookmaker, making sure you can always get in touch with your account and start betting. Its focus is mainly on security, though, so you get bank-grade encryption, Threat Protection, and other amazing functionalities.

Threat Protection is my favorite as it includes antivirus, malware protection, and a solid ad blocker. However, NordVPN has double VPN servers that will double your encryption plus obfuscated servers that make this VPN great for use in China or Iran.

In addition, NordVPN comes with RAM-based servers and offers a Private DNS feature. RAM-based servers wipe out every bit of information upon restart, while NordVPN’s Private DNS ensures no third-party DNS providers can track your online activities.

I like that NordVPN looks modern and allows for one-click connections. This is welcome for newcomers with no prior experience in using a VPN. Instead of 8 or 7, this VPN has 10 simultaneous connections (more than the next two options) and comes with fast-to-respond 24/7 live chat support.

All of this comes at an affordable price that might be influenced by VAT in some countries. Still, you can get its cheapest deal through the button below and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee with no conditions, on all subscription plans.

Enjoy Anonymous Betting With NordVPN


2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN Poker
© ExpressVPN

Pros

  • Servers in 105 countries
  • AES-256 encryption for the highest level of security
  • No-logging policy
  • It can unblock any betting site
  • Works on all devices (iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows & Android)

Cons

  • Expensive prices
  • Not as many features as NordVPN

ExpressVPN is another worthy VPN for gambling because it’s so reliable, that you’ll hardly want another provider – except for perhaps NordVPN. Its servers in 160+ worldwide locations are blazing fast and they’re based on a 10 Gbps infrastructure, which promises the fastest speeds you can get.

Furthermore, the provider is very good at bypassing geo-restrictions on all types of websites.

ExpressVPN has tons of security features as well. For example, its 256-bit encryption will make your connection untraceable while the kill switch and IPv6/DNS leak protection will make sure your true identity never leaks to the public eye.

This is useful if you want to gamble anonymously on a site like DraftKings where you play using crypto. To make things better, ExpressVPN offers a no-logging policy as well. This means it stores no data of your online activities, which ensures complete anonymity for whatever you’re doing online.

As said, ExpressVPN works on all devices and I think it’s a huge advantage. With it, you can unblock online bookies even on your phone, tablet, or laptop, so you can bet online abroad on the fly. Besides, it offers 8 simultaneous connections, which is more than enough for protecting your devices.

We will recommend its annual plan with a 49% discount thanks to 3 free months. This deal is currently available through the button below and we suggest you pick it up until it lasts – nothing’s forever and this is the best deal ExpressVPN had so far.

Bet Online Abroad With ExpressVPN


3. CyberGhost

CyberGhost Betting
© CyberGhost

Pros

  • 12,000+ servers in 100 countries
  • 7 simultaneous connections
  • Dedicated torrenting and streaming servers
  • 45-day money-back guarantee for long-term plans

Cons

  • Slightly unintuitive Windows app
  • Not working in China and some censored countries

If you want to know how to bet online abroad with a VPN, you can try out CyberGhost. This provider offers a humongous server network of 12,000+ servers in 100 countries, making it among the largest VPNs on the market. Although, Private Internet Access is still bigger with its 30,000 global servers.

Nevertheless, CyberGhost is the epitome of quality and reliability with lightning-fast speeds and stable connections that ensure smooth and uninterrupted online betting. It’s a VPN from Romania and as such, it’s known for a strong focus on privacy with its no-logging policy and transparency reports.

Security-wise, CyberGhost uses AES-256 encryption but features like a kill switch, ad blocker, and IPv6 leak protection are here as well. This is accompanied by CyberGhost’s WireGuard protocol and amazing website-unblocking capabilities.

The provider will let you unblock and access Betfair, Sky Bet, or any other online bookie abroad. Not only that, but we found this provider to be a great choice for downloading torrents in P2P and accessing dozens of geo-restricted streaming platforms.

Its applications are available for a multitude of devices and platforms, where CyberGhost offers the same amazing features. However, unlike NordVPN, it offers 7 simultaneous connections – 3 less – which is still great if you have plenty of devices or family members that need a VPN connection.

Finally, its price is the biggest reason to get CyberGhost if you want to bet online abroad. The longest plan is priced way below $2.5 a month and it comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee. This makes it the cheapest VPN on this list and a great solution for people on a stringent budget.

Unblock Betting Sites With CyberGhost


How to Choose a VPN for Online Betting Abroad?

In this guide, we present you with our top 3 favorite VPNs for betting. We didn’t pick these options randomly but rather according to our extensive testing on dozens of betting sites. Here’s how to choose a VPN for online gambling and betting.

  • Lots of servers. To unblock the betting sites you want, you’ll need a VPN with plenty of servers. NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and CyberGhost have thousands of them in 100 to 111 countries, making it clear why we chose them.
  • Fast speeds. You should avoid slow VPNs if you intend to have a great betting experience. Thus, it’s better to go for NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or CyberGhost with 10 Gbps servers and modern protocols like NordLynx, Lightway, and WireGuard. These proved to be incredibly fast.
  • Ease of use. When looking to bet online abroad, you want a service that can quickly connect you to the server. These VPNs support one-click connections to a variety of locations, even on your phone, tablet, or laptop. As such, you can hop on any betting site in a few seconds.
  • Security/privacy. It goes without saying that a safe VPN is a must. You want to have AES-256 encryption, a dependable kill switch, and even a no-logging policy. This means you’ll be left to bet or gamble in privacy, without your ISP snooping around.
  • Affordability. For this online betting abroad tutorial, we chose VPNs with low prices. After all, you wouldn’t want to spend a fortune on a VPN when you can use the same money for betting, and maybe earning something in the process. Take advantage of the special deals that they offer through our site to save even more cash!

Is It Legal to Access Betting Sites Abroad?

When it comes to betting sites and online betting/gambling, in general, laws are sometimes unclear. If you live in a country where placing bets online is illegal, then you shouldn’t use the trick I showed you. This would mean straight-up violating laws, which could land you in jail if you’re detected.

However, in many countries, there are no clear laws regarding online betting on foreign betting sites. What I can tell you is that I know people who bet online abroad using a VPN, and so far, none of those people ended up having trouble with the authorities.

Of course, I’m talking about people in countries where it’s legal to place bets, and not in Muslim countries where betting is completely forbidden. Betting sites, on the other hand, usually forbid using IP-changing services to access them in countries where they aren’t available.

But then again, these are just the website’s terms and conditions which, when breached, can lead to your account’s banning and/or losing all your money on that betting site. The solution I presented is tailored to people who already have an account on a betting site in a country where it is regulated by laws.

So if you want to unblock a site abroad on which you already have a verified account, that is completely okay because you’re already a member of that betting platform. Making a new account on a geo-restricted betting site is pretty much impossible since you can’t verify your information properly.

To answer the question of legality, it’s always better to check the terms and conditions of the site you want to use. And of course, make sure online betting isn’t frowned upon in your country. This way, you will ensure that you’re on the right side of the law.

Summary

To summarize everything I explained, I think it’s pretty clear how to bet online abroad using a VPN. If you want to access a geo-restricted betting website, you’ll need to change your IP address to the respective country, which will allow access regardless of your location.

For this purpose, I recommend NordVPN, but you can use ExpressVPN and CyberGhost with no issues as well. Just keep in mind your country’s laws and regulations regarding betting and gambling in general. If it’s illegal in your country, don’t try to access any betting platform.

Of course, make sure you gamble responsibly and don’t overdo it. This activity is, after all, addictive, and can lead to losing serious money if you’re not responsible. Place small bets and don’t expect you’ll get rich gambling. Remember – the house always wins!


FAQ

Let me answer a few more important questions related to the subject.

Where is gambling illegal?

Gambling/betting isn’t legal in every country, so here’s a list of some of the countries where it is forbidden.

  • The UAE
  • Lebanon
  • North Korea
  • Qatar
  • Poland
  • Brunei
  • Cambodia
  • Singapore
  • Cyprus
  • Cuba
  • Japan

In these countries, it’s highly recommended to NOT use a VPN to bet online abroad. This would mean a direct violation of the law, for which you’ll be penalized according to your country’s laws and legislation.

What if a VPN isn’t working for betting online abroad?

If you use a VPN and the platform you’re trying to unblock still doesn’t let you access it, chances are that your VPN is detected. This happens a lot with less-quality VPNs like free providers, for example, which are often detected by streaming and betting sites.

As a result, your attempt to access the site is blocked, as the IP address you’re using is traced to the provider. However, the providers that I presented aren’t going to create such problems and they’re going to work properly, with little to no chances of detection.

Therefore, the best solution is to select NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or CyberGhost if you want reliable performance. Other possible solutions include switching to another browser, clearing your cookies, or trying to connect to a different server.

Although to be honest, I had zero issues unblocking popular betting sites using any of the three services that are presented.

Will any free VPN allow me to unblock geo-restricted betting platforms?

Both yes and no. Some free VPNs will let you unblock betting sites but the downside is that you get very slow speeds and limited monthly bandwidth, which limits your betting. For example, the highest you can get is up to 10 GB a month, which isn’t enough for a single day of browsing and streaming.

This means that you can gamble one day and then, for the rest 29 or 30 days, you’re left without the benefits of the VPN that you’ve chosen. Another key point is that free providers aren’t very safe and in many cases, they store and sell your personal info to the highest bidder.

In other words, they profit off of your privacy while pretending to be free and secure. I suggest avoiding Hola VPN, Betternet VPN, and even Hotspot Shield if privacy is your concern. Instead, get a safe and secure provider like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or CyberGhost.

Finally, free providers are prone to detection by betting websites, so in most cases, you won’t be able to unblock them. This is further exacerbated by small server networks of just a few countries on offer.

For example, free VPNs don’t have servers in the UK, so you can’t access any UK bookie abroad, and the list goes on.

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