If you’re a DraftKings player outside the US, you’ll notice the website doesn’t work.
This is because DraftKings doesn’t have the rights to accept bets from anywhere in the world.
DraftKings is a US-based sport betting service that’s only available in a select few countries. If you’re not within one of these countries or states, you won’t be able to access DraftKings.
The good news is there’s an easy way to get around this issue. All you need is a reliable VPN.
This article will explain how to play DraftKings outside the US using a reliable VPN.
See also:
- How to use Bet365 in the US: The EASY method! (September 2023)
- Betfair not working with VPN? There’s an EASY 2-minute fix! (September 2023)
How to play DraftKings outside the US: Quick Guide
To play DraftKings in a location where it isn’t available, you need to make the betting site think you’re accessing it from within a location where it is available.
To do that, you need to change your IP address to an IP based in a location where DraftKings works.
This is easy. All you need to do is follow these steps:
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Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
-
Download and install the new VPN app
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Open your new app and connect to a server in a location where DraftKings is available (see below)
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Play DraftKings anywhere in the world
Where is DraftKings available?
DraftKings is a US-based betting site. It’s available in every state in the US with a few exceptions being:
- Hawaii;
- Idaho;
- Montana;
- Nevada;
- Oregon;
- Washington; and
- Any parish in Louisiana where a majority of the qualified electors in the parish voted against the proposition to authorize fantasy sports contests
This is because certain states have different regulations and laws regarding fantasy sports and sports betting. The ones above don’t allow it, and if you’re in these states and try to access DraftKings, it won’t work.
DraftKings is also available in several countries outside the US. These are:
- Austria
- Canada
- Germany
- Ireland
- Malta
- UK
Why can’t I access DraftKings in certain states?
If you’re trying to access DraftKings in any of the states listed above, the betting site/app won’t work.
This is happening because those states have particular legislation that bans fantasy sports and sports betting from occurring in those territories.
Take Hawaii, for example. Hawaiian law deems daily fantasy sports to be illegal. This is the same for the other states listed above.
If you’re in one of these locations and can’t access DraftKings, download ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) connect to a server-based in a state where DraftKings is legal, and you’ll be able to play DraftKings anywhere in the world.
Why isn’t DraftKings available overseas?
DraftKings is a US-based betting service. Its primary audience is in the US; however, it is legal in some other countries. These are listed above.
If you aren’t in one of these countries, you won’t be able to access DraftKings. This is because DraftKings doesn’t have the rights to accept bets from every country.
If you connect to DraftKings from a country where it doesn’t have the rights to accept bets, your connection will be blocked.
This can be annoying, especially if you’re on holiday. Fortunately, to get around this issue, all you need to do is download ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), connect to a server-based in a country where DraftKings is available, and you’ll be able to play DraftKings anywhere in the world.
How does DraftKings block my connection?
DraftKings blocks connections outside the locations where it’s available by monitoring the IP addresses that connect to its website or app.
IPs are used to form a communication link between your device (phone, PC, laptop) and DraftKings.
The issue here is, for this communication to work, your IP address contains information about your physical location.
As an example, if you connect to DraftKings from within Australia. Your IP address will show you’re in Australia, DraftKings will see this, and it will block your connection because the betting site isn’t available in that location.
This is the same for individual states. If you’re in a state where DraftKings is illegal, your IP address will provide that information, and DraftKings will block your connection.
The good news is these blocks are easy to get around. All you need is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).
How do I get around DraftKings blocks?
The way to get around these blocks is to make it look like you’re accessing DraftKings from within a location where it’s available.
To do that, you need to change your IP address to one in a location where DraftKings works.
The easiest way to do that is using a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month).
These VPNs are excellent because they give you an anonymous internet connection that hides your current location, and they allow you to change your IP address location.
If you’re trying to use DraftKings outside of its legal locations, all you need to do is download ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), select a server where DraftKings is legal, and you’ll be given a new IP address.
Now when you connect to DraftKings, it will think you’re in a location where it’s available and you’ll be able to play DraftKings anywhere in the world.
Will any VPN work?
Playing DraftKings in a location where it’s not available can lead to the betting site being severely punished.
Using a VPN and playing fantasy sports on the site could lead to DraftKings being fined. It obviously doesn’t want this to happen.
To prevent that, DraftKings constantly monitors and tries to block VPNs.
Fortunately, DraftKings can’t block an entire VPN. However, it can block the IP addresses the VPN provides.
It does this using three main techniques:
- DraftKings constantly monitor for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. This test is basic. But cheaper VPNs will fail it, meaning your connection isn’t fully secure and will be blacklisted. Good VPNs such as ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will not fail this basic test.
- GeoIP databases collect IP information and verify the IP address you are connecting from. If your VPN is using an IP address in one of these databases, you won’t be able to use DraftKings outside of its legal locations.
- DraftKings makes its own IP checks. If the channel detects a large number of connections coming from the same IP address simultaneously, they know that that is an IP address provided by a VPN, and they will blacklist that IP address.
These VPN blocking techniques can be challenging to get around. Lesser VPNs, especially free VPNs, don’t have measures in place to get around them. This could result in you wasting money on a VPN that won’t work with DraftKings.
The good news is ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) do have measures to get around these blocks. When an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) is blocked by DraftKings, these VPNs will close that IP address and open a new one meaning you’ll be able to play DraftKings anywhere in the world reliably.
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
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Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
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2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
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Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
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3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
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4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
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Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
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5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
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Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
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