The Best VPNs for Online Poker Sites 2024

Did you know that a virtual private network (VPN) can up the ante in online poker? Using a VPN when playing online poker helps you keep your cards close to your chest, secures your online information, and encrypts your activity.

A VPN encrypts your online activity, giving you an added layer of security and masking your IP address. If you travel somewhere that doesn’t allow sports betting, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in your home state to access your accounts.

If you’re a novice or avid online poker player, a VPN can help protect your account information. Let’s look at the best VPN services for playing poker online and how they can help you safely and securely access popular online poker sites.

The best VPNs for online poker

• NordVPN: Best for online security
• Surfshark: Best for identity protection

Top 2 VPN services for online poker compared

Starting price	$3.59/mo (billed every two years)	$1.99/mo (billed every two years)
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 days
Streaming support	Yes — Netflix (unofficially), Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, DAZN	Yes — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, BBC iPlayer
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

How we tested the best VPNs for playing online poker

When evaluating VPNs for online gaming, we look at several different specs to determine the best options. While encrypting your online activity is the most important part of using a VPN, you want to make sure that connecting to the VPN doesn’t hinder your ability to play online poker or complete other activities like gaming, streaming, or torrenting.

Here are a few things we examine to find the best VPNs:

• Internet speeds: Does connecting to the VPN drastically change overall internet speeds?
• Ease of use: Is the VPN simple to use and easy to understand?
• Server locations: Does the VPN service have a robust list of servers worldwide?
• Compatibility and connections: Will the VPN work with a variety of computers and devices? How many connections does the VPN allow per account?
• Additional features: What additional ways does this VPN keep users safe?

NordVPN: Best for online security

Who it’s best for

NordVPN is a standout VPN, but what makes it even better are the additional features that help keep you safe online and offline. Protecting yourself online is more than just using a VPN, so we like it when a company offers different tools to protect users even when they’re not connected to an encrypted network.

NordVPN offers three different plans, each with additional online security tools: Basic, Plus, and Ultimate. All three include a secure VPN service. But the Ultimate plan includes encrypted cloud storage, a data breach scanner, a password manager, an ad blocker, and malware protection. You also get $1 million in identity theft recovery insurance and $100K in cyber extortion protection. NordVPN’s ultimate plan will cost you a little bit more but the added benefits help offset the cost.

What we liked

When it comes to VPNs, NordVPN is the royal flush. NordVPN offers a variety of protection features to keep you safe while connected to one of its servers. Some of the NordVPN features we like include:

• Meshnet: Allows you to create a private encrypted network for file sharing and more.
• Double VPN: Route your internet traffic through multiple servers for extra security.
• Dark web monitoring: Get an alert when your information is found on the dark web.
• Obfuscated servers: These specialized servers can hide the fact you’re using a VPN and help you access sites that restrict VPNs.

NordVPN is also available on various devices, so you can use it on your Mac or Windows computer, iPhone or Android phones, and inside browsers like Chrome. Based on our testing, connecting to NordVPN doesn’t have a detrimental effect on overall internet speeds.

What we didn’t like

NordVPN limits the number of connected devices per account to 10. While this isn’t a huge deal breaker, it limits VPN use — especially if you’re traveling with several devices or family members.

NordVPN specs

Price range	$2.99–$17.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	6,800+ servers in 111 countries
Number of connected devices	10
VPN protocol	IKEv2/IPsec, OpenVPN, NordLynx (WireGuard)
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

Surfshark: Best for identity protection

Who it’s best for

Surfshark includes some great additional features to help protect your identity. All Surfshark VPN plans include Alert ID, an identity masking feature. With the Surfshark One+ membership, you get access to Incogni data removal tools that can make removing your name from company lists and people search sites easier. While protecting your internet activity while gambling is key, these extra features can help keep you protected during other activities.

What we liked

Whether gambling or accessing geo-restricted Netflix libraries, Surfshark offers many important features to keep your data encrypted and hide your IP address. These include AES-256-GCM encryption, secure protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2), and a no-logs policy.

Surfshark recently unveiled a new feature for its VPN called Nexus. Surfshark’s Nexus creates a network of its VPN servers to help improve connection stability and increase speed. When connecting to Surfshark’s VPN, you’ll be connected to its Nexus network, which means your VPN traffic will be routed through a network of servers instead of a single server location.

Like NordVPN, Surfshark also includes bundled security tools to help keep your online accounts and activities safe. The Surfshark One bundle offers three plans: Surfshark Starter, Surfshark One, and Surfshark One+. These plans include the VPN service, CleanWeb ad blocking, and the Alt ID identity masking feature. For comprehensive cybersecurity features like Surfshark Antivirus, data breach alerts, safe browsing, or Incogni, you’d need to upgrade to a top-tier plan.

What we didn’t like

One thing that may cause concern for some users is that Surfshark is based in the Netherlands, a country that is part of the Nine Eyes Alliance. This will not create an issue for most, but it can raise privacy concerns. As part of the Nine Eyes Alliance, the Netherlands could provide information regarding national security to other alliance countries. This means that it is possible the government would require businesses like Surfshark to provide information if it was pertinent to a national security risk.

Surfshark specs

Price range	$1.99–$17.95/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Number of servers	3,200+ servers in 100 countries
Number of connected devices	Unlimited
VPN protocol	WireGuard, IKEv2, OpenVPN
No-logs policy	No logs
Unblocks Netflix?	Yes
Torrenting support	Yes
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

Honorable mentions

We’ve highlighted our top two VPNs for online poker, but many other VPN solutions are available if you’re looking for something a little different. Based on our research and testing, you can bet on a few other options.

• ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN is another highly-rated VPN that we’ve tested. It didn’t make our top list because it’s a more expensive solution, even though it’s one of the best VPN services on the market. That’s because of ExpressVPN’s super secure Lightway protocol, strict no-logs policy with independent audit, and free features such as MediaStreamer and Threat Manager. On the downside, ExpressVPN only offers connections for up to 8 devices.
  

  Get ExpressVPN | Read Our ExpressVPN Review

• Private Internet Access (PIA): With PIA, you get access to an extensive server network of Unlisted in 91 countries and all 50 U.S. states — plus the ability to connect unlimited devices. PIA also offers great VPN features such as torrenting support, split tunneling, and DNS leak protection.

  Get PIA | Read Our PIA Review

• CyberGhost: CyberGhost offers Unlisted optimized for different activities like streaming Netflix. This makes it easy to find a server that will work best for your needs. Plus, CyberGhost offers NoSpy servers, which help keep your online activities private. Unlike PIA, CyberGhost only offers connections for up to 7 devices.
  
  Get CyberGhost | Read Our CyberGhost Review

How to choose the best VPN

Not every VPN is good enough to use for poker. When you're trying to find a VPN, here are the features you should be considering:

• Fast speeds — To avoid unnecessary lag or buffering when you're playing poker, the VPN you pick should give you fast speeds regardless of the time of day.
• Strong security — Pick VPNs that offer, at minimum, strong 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and strong VPN protocols. This will keep your data secure.
• No-logs policy — A high-quality VPN will keep your browsing activity private, so trackers can't snoop into what you're doing. 
• Low price — You shouldn't need to spend a fortune to keep your data safe. The best VPNs offer special offers and discounts for long-term usage.
• Large server network — If you want to protect your online security wherever you are, choose a VPN that has servers in multiple locations.

Why should you use a VPN?

Online privacy is essential when you're on poker sites. Using a VPN can boost your security and keep you safe while you're gambling. These are some of the benefits of using a VPN:

• Protect your data — The best VPNs offer up to 256-bit AES encryption and strong VPN protocols that ensure your data will never be hacked. This will make sure your poker winnings are kept hidden and secure. 
• Hide your IP address — A VPN will hide your actual IP address, so you can access poker sites without being tracked. 
• Access geo-blocked sites — Using a VPN will let you access sites that you may not be able to with your actual IP address. This is ideal if you're traveling and want to access sites from back home. 

Best VPNs for online poker FAQs

Bottom line: The best VPNs for online poker

There's no need to call our bluff. Using a VPN to play online poker or place online sports bets is essential to keeping your information and activities private and safe.

We've found that NordVPN is the best VPN for online poker, but Surfshark is also a solid VPN provider for accessing poker sites. Our two top picks include a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try them out yourself risk-free.

2 best VPNs for online poker 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
	$3.59/mo (billed every two years)	Best for overall online security	Get NordVPN Read Our NordVPN Review
	$1.99/mo (billed every two years)	Best for identity protection	Get Surfshark Read Our Surfshark Review