Betfair provides a wide range of betting and gambling options for users — as long as you’re in a country where online gambling is legal. You can access Betfair from anywhere in the world, although you will need to take a few, simple steps to do so.
Betfair will give you a notification if you’re in a restricted country. It may read, “You are not permitted to register with Betfair from the country you are in.” If you see that message or a similar one, the country you are currently in has banned online gambling or Betfair specifically.
You can get past this geographic content blocking by using a VPN service like NordVPN. NordVPN allows you to spoof your IP address by connecting to a VPN server located in your home country (the UK, for example) where Betfair is legal.
Aside from simply assigning a new IP address, VPN services also provide an encrypted tunnel to users. This means that web-based activity is encrypted between your computer and the server you’re connecting to. Anyone trying to look in on your activity would have a very hard time doing so. This includes the ISP you’re utilizing while abroad. That encryption varies depending on the service you use, but most paid services use the highest level of encryption and privacy standards that include no log keeping and a kill switch for when the VPN connection drops.
Anyone looking to access Betfair with a VPN should ensure they only do so if they are a resident of a country where accessing Betfair is legal. Using a VPN to access Bet365 services should not be considered a workaround for the purposes of illegal online gambling.
How to use a VPN to access Betfair abroad
Below we explain how to set up a VPN connection so you can access your Betfair account online.
Here’s how to access Betfair from anywhere:
- Sign up with a VPN that unblocks Betfair. We recommend NordVPN.
- Download and install the VPN app or browser extension for your device.
- Check it’s legal to use Betfair in the country you are traveling in.
- Open the VPN app or browser extension and connect to a server in a country where Betfair is unblocked.
- Go to Betfair and login to your account.
- You should now be able to place bets! If you’re still encountering restrictions, try clearing your browser’s cookies.
It should be noted that using a VPN to connect to Betfair while living in a country or U.S. state where online gambling is not permitted is still an illegal act. We don’t condone the use of a VPN service to break the law for the purpose of gambling. That said, NordVPN and other VPN services like it are particularly popular among international travelers looking to access geographically-blocked content from their home countries.
Why do people use a VPN for sports betting abroad?
Betfair hosts over 4 million users, 1.1 million active users, and around $483 million (GBP $393 million) in revenue in 2014. This easily makes Betfair a major international gambling hub, particularly given the website is legal in many different countries. Customers are regularly logging in and placing bets from over 46 countries. This includes one U.S. state (New Jersey) and Australia.
As gambling has always been a bit of a hot topic, and more so for online gambling, many countries have banned Betfair outright and other websites like it. In some countries, such as Canada, gambling, and even online gambling may be legal, but gambling through offshore websites like Betfair is not. For Canadians in particular, this means an inability to connect to websites that offer online gambling but have no physical address within the country. This is one of several reasons why Betfair, which once operated in Canada, closed up shop back in 2014.
In most U.S. states, online gambling is illegal, and even where it is permitted, many potential online gamblers face roadblocks from credit card companies and banks. A law exists that prohibits banks from processing payments used for illegal online betting. So as to avoid getting in trouble, most banks reject such payments. In the case of New Jersey, where online gambling is legal, many customers find their payments are still not processed, although a majority do now go through for users in those locales.
In several cases, such as in Portugal, Betfair is not illegal due to an issue with online gambling bans, but on acquiring the proper licenses. These licenses can often be difficult to obtain, or more costly than what may be worth the expense to the company. Betfair must balance its cost-benefit for each individual country, and in some cases, the market for online gambling just isn’t there. As for Portugal, Betfair is currently in the process of applying for a license there. Find out where Betfair is legal and where it’s banned at the bottom of this article.
Nevertheless, Betfair remains vastly popular among many would-be gamblers across the world, including those who live in countries where using Betfair is either outright banned, or sitting within the legal gray area. Since Betfair only allows users to connect to their service after determining if the user’s IP address comes from a legally-accepted country, Betfair users, like many internet users, generally find a workaround. That workaround exists with VPNs.
Laws and regulations change so please check local legislation to ensure you stay on the right side of the law.
How to use Betfair in the US
While researching how to connect to Betfair through a VPN, we discovered a few tidbits for anyone connecting while in the U.S. (and conceivably in Canada):
- Even connecting to a New Jersey-based server may not let you into Betfair’s website. Alongside connecting to Betfair through NordVPN, we tried connecting to a New Jersey VPN server using IPVanish. While the server connection was just fine, we were still rejected by Betfair’s website. Betfair’s website will still reject U.S. and Canadian IP addresses, even when you’re connected to a VPN.
- We discovered that this is because Betfair has a separate website for its U.S. operations, Betfair CASINO. This website will work even without a U.S. IP address, although it may not be what you’re looking for. Betfair CASINO not only requires an account separate from the regular Betfair website, but it also does not offer the same betting options.
- If you’re a U.S. citizen and desire to use Betfair in the U.S., you must be a New Jersey resident or be in New Jersey at the time you are using Betfair. Betfair CASINO will require you to install a location detector onto your browser to verify you are in New Jersey. Despite being legal to access Betfair while physically located in New Jersey, it is still illegal to do so while outside of New Jersey.
How to download the Betfair App from abroad
Much like the website, if you’re trying to access Betfair from abroad through the mobile app, you’ll likely get blocked in the process. Betfair is only available in a handful of countries. Where it’s not available, the service implements geographic content blocking methods, including blocking access to its mobile app from anyone outside the approved region.
You have two options if you want to download and access the Betfair app from abroad:
1. Install the app in your home country before traveling, then use a VPN
Plan to travel outside of your home country where Betfair is available, to one where it’s unavailable? Make sure to install the Betfair app on your devices before you leave. Once you’ve reached your destination, use a VPN like NordVPN to still ensure you can still access your Betfair account.
You can even test to make sure that a VPN works with your Betfair app before you leave. If in the UK, for example, just connect to a NordVPN server in the UK on your device. Then, load your Betfair app. If you can still log in to your account and interact with Betfair’s services, you’re good to go.
2. Sideload the APK file (Android only)
Betfair appears to have recognized this need and made this process pretty simple for Android users. You don’t even need to change your location in Google Play.
- Just download the Betfair app APK file from Betfair’s website. Make sure to download the file from your Android device, otherwise, just email it to yourself or transfer the file to your Android from your PC.
- From your Android device settings, go to App and then select the top-right menu icon (three vertical dots). From there, tap Special access
- Next, select Install unknown apps
- Find the Betfair APK, then tap it and select Allow from this source
You’re set! Note that you’ll still need an active Betfair account and a VPN to access Betfair’s services if you’re in a country where Betfair is not currently available.
3. Change your device location to a country where the Betfair app is available
If you didn’t install the Betfair app before you left your home country and want to install it from the app store, you can still access the app by changing your location in your device settings.
For Android users, follow the steps we’ve provided in our guide on how to use a VPN to change your country in the Google Play Store.
Apple provides information on how to do this if you’re an iOS user, however, you’ll still need a VPN if you’re trying to spoof your location. And similarly to Android, you’ll need a payment method associated with the country you’re trying to change your location to.
FAQs about watching Betfair with a VPN
Where is Betfair legal?
Online gambling laws are perhaps some of the most overly complicated laws you will find. Each country has its own legal situation, and even places where online gambling is legal, the situation may be less than black and white. Laws are always changing as well, making it sometimes difficult to keep up with the legal situation on this topic.
For the sake of accuracy, we reached out to Betfair directly regarding which countries still ban their service. Below you'll find a list of where Betfair is legal, and where it's still blocked. Not included on either list are "gray area" countries where no law exists permitting or denying the right to use Betfair or other online gambling sites.
Countries in which Betfair is legal:
- UK
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Hungary
- Macedonia
- Moldova
- Croatia
- Serbia
- Montenegro
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Czech Republic
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Finland
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Germany
- Malta
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Lichtenstein
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Gibraltar
- New Jersey
Countries in which Betfair is blocked:
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Angola
- Austria
- Brunei Darussalam
- China
- France (including French Territories)
- Guam
- Guyana
- Hong Kong
- Islamic Republic of Iran
- Iraq
- Japan
- Korea
- Kuwait
- Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
- Martinique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Papua New Guinea
- Puerto Rico
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Sudan
- The Syrian Arab Republic
- Turkey
- Uganda,
- USA (excluding New Jersey)
- Virgin Islands (USA)
- Yemen
- Zimbabwe
*Note on illegal/legal countries: As mentioned, gambling laws change regularly, as well as Betfair's own licensing agreements in different countries. This list is subject to change at any time. Please be sure to check the rules in your own country on a regular basis to ensure you're compliant with local laws. If you do find any discrepancies in our list, please let us know!
In which US states is Betfair legal?
Sports betting isn't legal in all US states at the time of writing, but states are legalizing it state-by-state. Because of this, Betfair is only deemed legal in a handful of states. Some of the states in the US where Betfair is currently legal include:
- Nevada
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Arkansas
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Montana
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Tennessee
- Colorado
- North Carolina
- Mississippi
Gambling via Betfair in states like new Mexico and Oregon is currently limited, except for a state lottery.
Is using a VPN against Betfair’s terms and conditions?
Betfair’s Terms and Conditions state that it deems suspicious betting to include “where we reasonably believe that bets have been placed from a location or device other than the location or device which you claim to have used to place a bet”. This would suggest that it is against Betfair’s terms and conditions to place bets while connected to a VPN server in a location that does not match your physical location.
The above does not guarantee that Betfair will act upon this but it does reserve the right to do so as a result. It’s also unlikely to be an issue if you’re connected to a VPN server if that server matches your current location.
Will I still have access to the same betting markets using a VPN?
The idea behind a VPN is that you can connect to a server in your home country, change your IP address, and spoof your location. This allows you to access geo-restricted websites and services (such as Betfair) as normal regardless of your physical location.
If a VPN works with Betfair as it should, you’ll be able to access the same betting markets as usual. For example, if you’re from the UK and travel abroad on holiday, you should still be able to access the UK betting markets, providing you connect to a server in the UK and get a UK IP address.
Do VPNs work with other betting sites?
Yes. When you connect to a VPN server you appear to be physically located in the country you selected. This means you can get a valid IP address in that region to use any local betting sites and online casinos that are usually unavailable outside of the licensed region.
That means you can access US betting sites abroad, or in states where gambling is restricted. It also means that you can use a VPN to access international betting sites in any country that you require (such as to place a bet in your own country while on vacation).
See also: The best VPN for Bet365
do NOT use express vpn. I went on several gaming sites & all detected I was using a VPN. Lost some $.
Still looking for a service, but trust me express VPN is NOT it.
How to transfer large amounts of money in betfair. Without involving the banks or using my personal account or credit cards
umm, bitcoin?
I am going to Greece next weekend & want to have a bet via my Betfair account. I have got a ExpressVPN Account, what do I physically have to do to access my Betfair account ? ie when & which buttons do I have to press.
Hi, great article, loved reading it. I have one question for you, I hope you can solve it for me. I live in Spain and BetFair is legal here but they have limited access on EXCHANGE due to laws( for eg – they don’t have horse racing and many other sports I like on Exchange. They only limit to Football, tennis and basketball and the liquidity isn’t that great either. Now my question is I have a bank account and living address in India. So through VPN provider ( India IP address ) Can I give my Spain bank account statement for verification ? Will they accept me and transfer the money ? or is it a compulsion to provide only with Indian bank statement ? Thank you.
I am travelling next month to thailand. Can I access my same betfair account in Thailand too??? Would betfair block my account???
I have a verified betfair account which I made in India(my home country)
Did you read the article?
Hello guys!
Thanks, Sam, for the article. I have a small problem, can you help me out? I am using seed4.me VPN and Betfair apps on my iPhone. And I got error message that I am not in UK and can’t access the service.
I contacted seed4.me support and they told me to disable Location services. I did. But now the Betfair asks me to turn it back.
Any solution?
Which VPN do you recommend for Betfair? Tested and working good.
Last thing is do you use static IP or dedicated own IP in your VPN?
Thank you for your answers in advance.
Hi Elmer, we recommend ExpressVPN for Betfair. Additionally, ExpressVPN does not use static or dedicated IP. The service utilizes dynamic IP to better secure anonymity.
Guys
Don’t do it. My account has just been closed. No warning. Nothing. I had over 500 quid in the account and now I need to fight to get it.
It’s not worth it. Trust me.
Nick,
Sorry to hear that happened to you. Did Betfair confirm with you that that was the reason for closing your account?
Hello,
I am trying to use the TunnelBear VPN to connect to my BetFair account in Luxembourg.
I set a connection with the VPN from the UK -where Betfair is allowed- though, when accessing the BetFair website, I receive a message that the software detects I am trying to connect from a forbidden country.
How can this be the case, and what do you suggest me trying?
Thanks in advance,
Best,
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Although TunnelBear has put a good amount of effort into crafting a good user interface, the service itself is not that excellent. I’ve also found that TunnelBear tends to collect quite a bit more information from users, although it says in its privacy policy that it does not share that information outside of Canada (no word on if it shares it inside of Canada, however).
As for why you’re getting that message, it may be that TunnelBear’s VPN connection methods are getting detected by Betfair’s software. Have you tried a different VPN service?
Many thanks for your response.
Not yet, which VPN do you advise me to you?
Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
Hi Sam,
I’m using VPN to connect to betfair and it works Ok, the only problem is that I’m not allowed to watch the live video.
Any way to fix this? Thank you.
Hi Peter,
I’ve tried to look into this issue. I’m not sure why this might be the case for you. There are any number of reasons that the video might not be loading. When you say you’re “not allowed”, what kind of message are you getting when trying to watch video?
Hello I am currently living in Jamaica and I am using betfair , fully verified account but now soon reside in Canada , can I use a vpn to access my account there without getting my account shut down by betfair?
Hi Michael,
You can physically use a VPN to access Betfair while abroad. However, do note that altering the IP address of your computer while abroad (e.g., using a VPN), would be considered against the Terms and Conditions. Whether this would lead to your account getting shut down by Betfair depends on the technology they employ to track this. We can’t verify how they track IP addresses, so that would be a risk you would take.
Hi Sam,
I’m going abroad soon, and will definitely miss Betfair.
I’d like to use a VPN, however I found this in Betfair’s terms and conditions: “You will not disguise or interfere in any way with the IP address of the computer you are using to access the site or otherwise take steps to prevent us from correctly identifying the actual IP address of the computer you are using whilst accessing the site.”
Does this mean they don’t allow the use of VPN’s?
Thank you,
Mark
Hi Mark,
That would be the correct interpretation of their language there, yes. You take on risk by using a VPN with their service. Our service review focuses primarily on the legal issues related to doing so and on the possibility of making it happen.
Hi Sam,
I read with great interest your comments about Betfair access via VPN. I tried it but wasn’t successful.
I got the same Betfair input mask that you described in your comments, but when I put in my email address, access was denied.
I could provide you with a sceen shot but maybe you have already some advice what I could do to get access to my account via VPN.
Thanks & regards
Roland
Germany
Hi Roland,
Thanks for dropping in. Can you describe the input mask you received in more detail? Also, do you already have a verified Betfair account?
Hi Sam,
I live in Belgium and due to new UK/EU and Belgian gaming regulations, my Betfair account has been closed since November 2016 and belgium is now on the Betfair black list too. Is there a way for me to open a new Betfair account ? I’ve already used a VPN (Cyberghost) to access their website but even if I am considered as a “new customer” and can apparently open a new account, before doing so I’d like to know how I can pass the Betfair verification process without getting rejected.
I am ready to do what it takes to become a “virtual British citizen” but i really don’t know how to acheive that goal. Thank you for your help and advise.
JP
Hi JP! Sorry to hear about those changes.
From my understanding of the situation, it appears that, because you are now in a blacklisted country, your solutions might have run dry. The only want to access Betfair abroad is to already have an account, or to create an account using a verified address from a country where Betfair is legal to use. I’m not sure you are able to become a virtual British citizen as a workaround. I’ll refer you to Betfair’s page on identity verification:
https://support.betfair.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/72/c/446/
Hi, great article, thank you. I just have a question and hope you may be able to help. I live in a “gray area” country and am trying to figure out how to use Betfair. This article helped a lot, but do you know if Betfair would shut me down based on my payment method? For instance, if I use Paypal or Neteller instead of direct bank payment, would Betfair shut me down based on my address with the payment service? If so, would you have an idea or suggestion for a way around this?
Thank you,
Chris
Hi Chris!
Thanks for reading. We appreciate you utilizing our website and I’m glad to hear we provided you with some valuable information. I took some time to research this one for you. I’ll refer you to a page Betfair has on this specific topic: https://en-betfair.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/62/related/1
What I can’t verify is how old this post is. However, going off of the information provided here, I would assume that you can use either Neteller or Paypal, as long as you have a verified account, assuming you are able to access Betfair legally from your country.
Thank you.