It’s an inevitable fact of modern life, and like it or not, many of us spend large amounts of our time glued to our mobile phones. In fact recent studies found out that the average time spent was a massive 86 hours a month! So it’s no wonder we can’t resist taking them with us when we go away.
Thanks to EU rules on roaming charges, we can now use our data freely when we travel to Europe for business or pleasure. Which means we can use our apps. Well, most of them anyway.
Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and most others are fine to use as normal when you’re away. But when it comes to using betting apps, the rules are a bit different.
Local Online Betting Laws Apply
If you have betting apps installed on your iPhone or Android, you’re probably a citizen of a country where online betting is legal such as the UK or Ireland. Your account is probably registered at your home address, and you’re probably betting with a bookmaker or mobile casino that has a UK license.
But despite all this, when you’re abroad you are bound by the laws of the country you’re in. That means if you are somewhere where mobile gambling is not allowed, then you can’t use your betting apps.
When you try to connect, the app will probably be able to tell where you are, and it will usually display a message telling you you can’t access their services from that location.
It can be a bit frustrating, especially when so many of us choose to sit down and watch the Premier League football when we’re on our holidays, but we can’t always use our football betting apps in the same way we can at home. At least the sun’s out though, so that is some consolation.
Is There Any Way Around This?
It is possible to hide your IP address by using a VPN (virtual private network). This is basically a bit of software that you install on your mobile, tablet or laptop.
It works by routing your internet connection through a server which may be located in a different country to you. This has the effect of securing your connection (which is a very good thing) and also of making it appear like you’re located somewhere else.
You can probably see where this is going.
So if you happen to be somewhere that doesn’t allow online gambling – let’s say Dubai for example – you could, in theory, connect to a VPN server in London. That would encrypt your connection and make the site you’re connecting to (i.e. the bookie or casino) believe you’re in the UK.
We’re telling you how to do this, but we’re not recommending that you do it. If you want to try, it’s at your own risk. Remember that if you are found breaking local laws then you are liable to fines or prosecution, depending on how dim a view the country you’re visiting takes of gambling.
You need to decide whether you’re happy to take the risk.
If not, why not put your phone down for a while and enjoy your time abroad. The football, horses and casino games will all still be there when you get home.
Last Updated on April 28, 2020
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