5 Best Pokerstars VPNs (Play in USA) in 2023

PokerStars, and most of the other online poker companies, is geo-restricted in many countries around the world, including the USA and Australia.

If you are a dedicated fan of poker websites, however, there is a way of accessing poker sites using a premium Virtual Private Network (VPN). This makes it appear as if you are playing from a country that permits online gambling, giving you access to the best poker sites.

Read on to find out which VPNs to use so you can log in to PokerStars, enter its Cash Game Lobby, and enjoy online gaming hassle-free…

5 Best VPNs for Pokerstars

Here are the best VPNs to use when playing online poker on sites like Pokerstars:

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is our top VPN service for playing online poker on PokerStars.

This extremely secure VPN provider offers AES 256–bit encryption, a strict no–logs policy, a VPN Kill Switch, DNS leak protection, and RAM–only servers that are wiped clean on each server reboot.

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Information-Sharing Alliance, and does not keep any logs to share with neighboring governments.

You can use multiple connections (up to 5) with a single ExpressVPN account so you can access popular poker sites while your family members visit other online casinos or unblock geo-restricted streaming services, like Hulu or Netflix.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN ensures complete online security when playing Pokerstars games or visiting other online poker sites, with its military–grade encryption, no–logging policy, DNS and IP leak protection, and VPN Kill Switch that cuts your Internet if your encrypted VPN connection cuts out unexpectedly, so your private information and true IP address aren’t revealed.

NordVPN also offers obfuscation, which will mask your VPN traffic, making it look like you are surfing the web without a VPN.

3. Surfshark

Surfshark is another excellent, competitively-priced option for accessing online poker sites.

It has strong safety and security features, including an ultra–fast WireGuard tunneling protocol, a Kill Switch, and military–grade encryption, as well as the MultiHop and CleanWeb features.

Surfshark allows you to connect concurrently to an unlimited number of devices, which means that you can play online games while your family all uses the same VPN account for other purposes.

4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost boasts security features like a Kill Switch, 256–bit encryption, and DDoS attack protection. It also uses No-Spy servers, so there’s no storage of your information on its hard drives.

CyberGhost has a very large server network worldwide, with over 7,700 servers in 90+ countries, so you can easily find a server that lets you access PokerStars. CyberGhost usually offers good speeds and reliable connections, so your game on a poker site shouldn’t be affected by too much lag.

5. UltraVPN

UltraVPN is a reasonably priced smaller VPN that provides you with a no–logs policy, a Kill Switch, and high levels of encryption.

It boasts good download speeds, has servers in 55 countries (all continents) that can easily get you onto PokerStars or other poker sites.

UltraVPN allows 6 simultaneous connections with the same VPN and can be used on most devices.

Why You Need a VPN for Pokerstars Online Poker

Most poker sites block a player if his IP address belongs to a country in which online gambling is prohibited. The PokerStars VPN policy clearly prohibits customers from using real money to gamble with the help of a VPN from any prohibited jurisdiction.

It’s simple to use a VPN to play poker on your device but you must be very careful with a variety of reasons.

First, if PokerStars detects VPN traffic and logins from locations that keep changing, they’ll begin to suspect you’re using a VPN. Also, if they notice many players connecting from the same server, with the same IP address, they may deduce this is because many people are using the same VPN server.

If your connection to the VPN drops at any point, you also must ensure that your VPN has a Kill Switch and make sure that your Internet connection is securely encrypted, so no one can find out personal details of your online activity.

Also, you must ensure your VPN offers quick connection speeds, since the last thing you need when placing bets is a lag in your connection.

How to Choose the Right Pokerstars VPN

When choosing the best VPN for PokerStars or any other poker service, focus on 4 main factors:

 Security features — Your VPN should offer military-level encryption and other security features (like a Kill Switch to prevent IP leaks).

 Speed — To ensure uninterrupted and successful play, your VPN must provide extremely quick connections.

 Device compatibility — Your VPN should allow you to play on a wide variety of devices.

 Size of server network — Your VPN must have servers in many territories worldwide, giving you access to the best gaming sites.

Pokerstars Terms of Service and VPN Policy

It’s permitted to use PokerStars’ services with a VPN if you just do so for fun and don’t use real money. However, there is a warning that you should avoid doing so since some of the game’s functions may not work (although this seldom happens).

Once you actually play with money, Pokerstars prohibits you from playing from any blocked area. Its terms of service state that:

“Customers who attempt real money gaming activity from inside a prohibited jurisdiction with the aid of VPNs or other technical workouts will lose their privileges and/or funds in their account.”

Therefore, if you use real money to play poker from a restricted area, using a VPN, you’re at risk of being banned and/or losing your money.

However, if you use a premium VPN, you significantly minimize the chances of being detected.

Can I Use a Free VPN with PokerStars?

It’s always tempting to get something free rather than paying for it, but using a free VPN is likely to be frustrating and even dangerous. As you don’t pay for your VPN, the company has to make money in other ways, so it may sell your information to a third party, resulting in irritating ads and, potentially, breaching your security online and making you vulnerable to malware or viruses.

The free VPNs may also provide restricted bandwidth and a limited number of servers, which could prevent you from playing your favorite poker game online.

How to Play Pokerstars in the USA

Most of the states in the USA prohibit online gambling, so you cannot gain access to the PokerStars website if you live there. If you want to gamble on Pokerstars you need to:

1. Subscribe to a premium VPN service, like ExpressVPN.
2. Download the VPN app.
3. Connect to one of the VPN servers in a country in which you are allowed to play PokerStars, like Canada.
4. Go onto the Poker Stars website and start playing!

How to Play PokerStars in Australia

In 2017, the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill was passed and PokerStars left the Australian market. If you want to access the PokerStars website in Australia, you’ll need a VPN and must:

1. Sign up to a premium VPN server (again, our top pick would be ExpressVPN).
2. Download the app of your chosen VPN onto your device.
3. Connect to a VPN server in a country in close proximity to Australia, (e.g., New Zealand) in which online gambling is permitted.
4. Launch PokerStars and start playing.

How to Play Pokerstars in Turkey

You will also need a VPN to play poker online in Turkey, as it was banned there in 2007. Follow these steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN, like ExpressVPN.
2. Download the app to your device.
3. Connect to a VPN server in a country in close proximity to Turkey in which online gambling is permitted.
4. Launch PokerStars and start playing!

Can Pokerstars Detect VPNs?

There are certain risks associated with using a VPN for PokerStars, but many people ignore these and play anyway.

When you play using a VPN, any online poker website may be able to detect that you are playing from a restricted area and bypass the restrictions with a VPN by:

 Having information that tells them that the address they are detecting for you actually belongs to a VPN provider, not a private user.
 Detecting that many connections are all originating from the same IP address, making them suspect that it belongs to a VPN.
 Nothing that there are several different IP addresses associated with your account.

Therefore, it’s possible that PokerStars will be able to monitor IP addresses and identify you as using a VPN, which isn’t allowed if you are gambling with real money. It’s also feasible that some of the IP addresses belonging to a VPN server may be blacklisted.

Furthermore, to prevent fraud/theft of your account, many websites monitor and log the IP addresses from which you connect to your account. If they note that you tend to connect from several different IP addresses, this may alert them to the fact that you are using a VPN.

Below are tips to assist you to bypass algorithms that could detect your use of a VPN and result in you being banned from PokerStars.

Tips (and Rules) on How to Play Pokerstars with a VPN Safely & Securely

If you want to play online poker, and before you download the PokerStars software on your device, follow these tips to stay safe:

1. Ensure that the VPN you use has a dedicated IP

By using a static, dedicated IP address, you can be sure no one else will be connecting to the website using this IP address. This will prevent unusual traffic from the address, eliminating the risk that the website could be alerted to your use of a VPN. By using a dedicated IP address, it will look as if you are connecting from a country in which PokerStars is permitted. Many premium VPNs, like NordVPN, offer dedicated IP addresses.

2. Use a VPN with a Kill Switch

If you plan to play poker online on one of your favorite poker sites and don’t want to risk having your account banned or locked, ensure that your VPN offers a Kill Switch. This protects you if you unexpectedly disconnect from the server of the VPN, preventing IP address leaks that reveal your actual location.

3. Use a VPN that disables iPv6

Even if you use a VPN, your connection to any website has another IP address known as IPv6. Just as your usual IP address, your IPv4, can reveal your real IP address and actual location, so can your IPv6 address.

To ensure your privacy, make sure your VPN can disable IPv6 as it has a strategy for ensuring that your information doesn’t leak.

4. Consider playing crypto poker

Some websites (e.g., Coinpoker) deal in cryptocurrencies, rather than real currency. There aren’t any restrictions on using a VPN if you play, deposit, or withdraw funds using cryptocurrency and you’ll probably not be required to provide any identity verification.

Obviously, if you play poker using cryptocurrency, there are concerns about its volatility, but issues around VPN usage are avoided.

5. Cash out as often as you can

Because there is a risk of your account being canceled, it’s prudent to cash out regularly so that if your account is closed, you won’t be subject to a large financial loss.

6. Deposit only the amount of money that you need

You’re always at risk of your account being canceled, so minimize the risk by only depositing the amount that you require on any particular day. If you use PayPal or another international transfer service, you won’t have to provide identifying bank details, which protects your privacy, and you could also deposit money in cryptocurrency on some websites.

Locations Where Pokerstars is Blocked

Many countries are restricted from PokerStars for a variety of cultural, religious, political, and legal reasons. The list of restricted countries regularly changes as the laws with regard to gambling tend to change often. At present, one cannot access poker sites like PokerStars in:

Switzerland, Slovenia, Vatican City, Cuba, USA, Columbia, Cuba, Australia, Israel, Malaysia, Turkey, UAE, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Palestinian Territories, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sudan, North Korea, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Myanmar (Burma), Macao, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Malaysia, and the Telangana and Nagaland provinces of India.

To avoid legal action being taken against you if you connect to poker websites in any of these areas, you need to connect to a VPN server IP address and ensure that you are using a top class VPN.

FAQs

Conclusion

It’s simple to gamble online using a VPN but you must be aware that this is actually prohibited in many countries by sites like PokerStars. Therefore you could face a ban or lose your funds if you play using a VPN. You must ensure that you choose a premium VPN with a dedicated IP service, excellent security features, and a reliable connection.