Whether you’re a parent, student, pet owner, or anyone else you can agree that traveling abroad requires a certain amount of adaptation. New foods, different weather, less public transportation, more expensive beer, and so on. For a frequent gambler, traveling abroad may present the opportunity to visit some new land based casinos, or try out a different version of poker, but for an online gambler traveling might result in not being able to access their favourite online casino. There are however a few ways to avoid this conundrum while still being able to enjoy a holiday abroad.

Plan Ahead
Just as you would call your credit card provider to inform them that you will be overseas, and they should not freeze your account due to foreign charges, an online gambler has the option of reaching out to their online casino’s customer support team to adjust the settings to allow them to play from abroad. Not all online casinos are able do this, but there are a number that can accommodate. Generally, the larger and more advanced casino sites are able to perform this service and they do not charge a fee.

Use a VPN
While it is technically legal for, let’s say, a New Zealand gambler to access a New Zealand account from abroad, the casino may have a geo blocker. This means that the casino will see your location and deny access, even if your account is recognized. One of the best ways around this is to install a trusted VPN before taking off. This will tell the casino that you’re within their playing zones, while in fact you may be lounging on a luxurious beach on one of the many sunny islands of The Caribbean. Furthermore, the VPN will protect your data, which is especially important as you’ve no doubt inserted your banking details into the casino websites.

Do Your Research
Gambling is a highly regulated industry, and online gambling is no exception to that rule. That being said, you may be surprised to learn how many countries do allow online casinos to operate, often times under foreign bodies, but to operate, nonetheless. There are a number of countries, including Thailand and Singapore, which partially allow for gambling. Laws may also change per region. For example, gambling in India is prohibited, however some states allow scratch cards and two states, Sikkim and Goa do permit gambling. For avid casino players making such plans can be just as important as making their travel itinerary.

No New Casinos
To register for any given online casino a player must provide a valid bank account and address from a legally excepted country, as well as be of at least 18 years of age. This means that a New Zealand online casino requires a New Zealand bank account, proof of identification and a valid address. While you may have this, know that there’s a strong chance you may not be able to register with a new casino from overseas. This could be due to geo blocking or that the casino might find it suspicious and blacklist your account, at least until returning to New Zealand. For this reason, it’s best not to even try registering for a new account while on holiday. If you came across a casino you want to register for during your travels, try saving it and you can register the moment the plane wheels hit the ground

Let’s say a gambler from New Zealand goes on holiday to France. Can this player now sign up with a French casino being that they are in French territory and that online casinos are legal in France? The short answer is, unfortunately, no. As previously stated, a casino will require a bank account and address in their country of operation. It’s safe to say that a tourist probably did not open up a foreign bank account and invest in real estate. That being said, the player may be able to try out some free demos on slot games which are only available in France, however this is merely a simulation and no prizes will be won.

Final Thoughts
Gambling is meant to be fun and should never get in the way of living your life. Holiday’s are no different, so even if you can’t visit your favourite online casino while abroad there are sure to be plenty of other fun activities to enjoy.