If you enjoy the thrill of playing daily fantasy sports (DFS), then you may have heard of DraftKings. It’s a popular online betting site where you can participate in contests for sports like football, baseball, and basketball.
DraftKings is currently only available in a few US states. Some of the states where it’s not legal are Alabama, Florida, Texas, and California. If you’re in a restricted state or traveling out of state, the easiest way to access DraftKings is to use a VPN to change your IP address.
In this article, we’ll explore the top 3 DraftKings Sportsbook VPNs. Using a DraftKing VPN will help you bypass geo-restrictions no matter where you are in the world and the steps involved in the process are easy to follow.
How to play DraftKings with a VPN from anywhere
- Pick a VPN that meets your needs.
- We recommend ExpressVPN because it has good quality servers in the US.
- Download the VPN on your phone or computer.
- Connect to a US server where DraftKings isn’t restricted.
- Start playing your favorite DFS!
Why is DraftKings Fantasy Sports blocked?
DraftKings is blocked for you because you’re in a US state (or another country) where restrictions have been imposed on it due to government regulations. The DFS platform is exclusively available in America and Canada, but even in the states, it’s illegal in many places.
Online gambling has faced significant stigma over the years because of its addictive nature. It’s also been used as a front by many companies and individuals for money laundering and bank fraud activities.
US states have different laws regarding online fantasy sports and they tend to change regularly.
For example, DraftKings was blocked in Massachusetts for a long time and has only recently been allowed to operate there.
Trying to access the site when you’re in a country where it’s restricted will return an error saying, “Country not supported.”
This is what you’ll see if you try to access DraftKings from a location where it’s restricted.
If you live in a state where DraftKings works and you travel to a place where it doesn’t, you won’t be able to access your account.
Why to use a VPN with DraftKings
You should use a VPN with DraftKings because it’s the easiest and safest method to access it from anywhere in the world. Here are some other reasons why you should use a DraftKing VPN:
- Circumvent location restrictions – A VPN will spoof your IP address. This will hide your actual location and make it look as if you’re physically present in a state where DraftKings is legal.
DraftKings detects your location by reading your IP address, which you can change by connecting to a VPN server. - Play DraftKings on the go – If you frequently travel out of state, you may not always have access to DraftKings. By using a VPN that has servers in states where it’s legal, you can gain access to it even when you’re on the go.
- Hide your online traffic – Many VPNs have advanced obfuscation features which are designed to help you avoid detection when you use them to access blocked sites. These features are what allow them to work in countries like China and India where they’re restricted.
VPNs that don’t use obfuscation techniques may not always work with DraftKings because their servers will easily get blocked.
What are the best DraftKings Sportsbook VPNs?
The best DraftKings Sportsbook VPN should change your IP address and make sure you don’t get caught when you access the site. Here are the top 3 VPNs for unblocking the platform:
1. ExpressVPN – Best VPN to play DraftKings with in 2023
- Stealth servers unblock DraftKings without getting blocked
- Has servers in 29 US states
- Has one of the fastest protocols in the VPN industry
- More expensive than other VPNs
- No trial version
ExpressVPN has a large, RAM-based server network and “stealth servers” to help you access DraftKings in a safe manner. Its proprietary protocol Lightway will give you top-notch security and speed so you can bet like a pro without getting penalized.
| Location | British Virgin Islands |
| Number of servers | 3000+ in 94 countries |
| USA server locations | 29 |
| Price | Starts from $6.67 per month |
Some of the US server locations offered by ExpressVPN.
The 29 server locations it has in the US will allow you to easily participate in any DFS you want. It’s one of the best VPNs when it comes to security, having features like a kill switch, split tunneling, and even an ad blocker. Learn more about these features in our detailed ExpressVPN review.
You can get ExpressVPN for $6.67 per month and use it on 5 devices simultaneously. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. NordVPN – Most secure VPN for DraftKings Sportsbook
- Advanced security features allow for safe DraftKings access
- Available in multiple US states where DraftKings is legal
- Has a 7-day trial version for Android
- No trial version for iOS or Windows/macOS
- Apps aren’t very intuitive
NordVPN is one of the most popular VPN services on the market. It has tons of US server locations where DraftKings isn’t restricted. Not only that, it includes a multitude of advanced security features that hide your online traffic while you’re playing DraftKings sportsbook.
| Location | Panama |
| Number of servers | 5000+ in 59 countries |
| USA server locations | 16 |
| Price | Starts from $4.19 per month |
Some of its best features include Multi-Hop routing, Onion Over VPN servers, P2P-optimized servers, split tunneling, and Threat Protection.
Use NordVPN’s Double VPN servers for extra security when playing DraftKings.
You also have the option to get a dedicated IP address for an additional fee, which is much safer than a shared one.
NordVPN is available for $4.19 per month and it also has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Private Internet Access – Cheap VPN to change your location with on DraftKings
- Dedicated IP doesn’t get blocked as easily as a shared one
- Affordable VPN for DraftKings
- Includes a server in every US state
- Company is located in the USA, a 5 Eyes country
Private Internet Access is the best DraftKings VPN if you’re already spending most of your money on the online gambling site and don’t have any left for a VPN service. Not only is it the most affordable service on this list, but it also has the highest number of US server locations.
| Location | USA |
| Number of servers | 10,000+ in 84 countries |
| USA server locations | 50 |
| Price | Starts from $2.03 per month |
Using its fast US server locations, you can easily unblock DraftKings. WireGuard is its primary protocol, which makes it almost just as fast and secure as ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
Private Internet Access offers two of the most secure protocols in the industry: WireGuard and OpenVPN.
PIA also lets you buy a dedicated IP address for a small fee, which makes it much safer than VPNs that only use shared IP.
You can purchase a PIA subscription for just $2.03 per month and get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can I use a free VPN to unblock DraftKings?
Yes, you can use a free VPN to unblock DraftKings, but it may not be as safe as a premium service. Most free VPNs show ads and sell their users’ data to advertisers for profit.
AtlasVPN is a great free choice as it doesn’t display any ads and it has servers in the US. If you’d like to explore more options, check out our list of best free VPNs.
With that being said, we always recommend using a premium VPN like ExpressVPN to access sites like DraftKings. You’ll get more servers and features, so the overall experience will be much better.
Where is DraftKings restricted?
Some of the places where DraftKings is restricted include Alabama, California, Montana, Nevada, Iowa, and Idaho. It’s also blocked in countries outside of the USA and Canada.
Note that DraftKings offers three products and the legality of each product depends on which state you’re in. These three products include DraftKings Sportsbook, DraftKings DFS, and DraftKings Casino.
Daily fantasy sports can be played in Canada (except Ontario) and the UK as well, but DraftKings Sportsbook and casino games are completely prohibited in the latter.
Here’s a map of the US that shows where DraftKings Sportsbook is restricted:
Where DraftKings Sportsbook is illegal. (Source: draftkings.com)
Whether you’re in a different country or traveling out of state, you can use a VPN to unblock any game on DraftKings. Here’s how:
How to play DraftKings out of states
- Choose a DraftKing VPN from our list.
- We recommend ExpressVPN because its servers are updated regularly.
- Download and install the VPN on your device.
- Connect to a server where DraftKings is available.
- You’re ready to start gambling!
VPN not working with DraftKings? Here’s what you can do
Getting a VPN to work with DraftKings isn’t too complicated, but if you’re having trouble, you can try these solutions:
- Switch servers – VPN servers get blocked all the time since they use a shared IP address. If it happens with a premium VPN like ExpressVPN, we recommend connecting to different servers until you find one that’s not blocked.
- Go incognito – Don’t use the same browser for VPN activities that you use for other things. Use incognito mode to access DraftKings so the site can’t recognize you through the cookies and cache stored in your browser.
- Use a different browser – If you don’t want to use incognito mode because it asks you to login every time you use it, get a new browser for DraftKings. Only use it when you’re connected to a VPN server so you don’t get caught.
- Delete cache – If you don’t want to use a different browser, make sure you clear cache and delete cookies before you connect to a VPN.
- Buy a dedicated IP – As previously mentioned, dedicated IP addresses are much safer than shared ones because they’re not being used by multiple people. They’re harder to detect so you’ll have less chances of getting blocked.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use DraftKings with a VPN to access it if you’re in a restricted state or country. Use a premium VPN like ExpressVPN to get the best speeds and security.
No, DraftKings is also available in Canada and the UK, but it’s restricted in those countries as well. If you want to access all of its products, you have to use a VPN.
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for DraftKings Sportsbook since it has 29 US server locations and you can easily use it to quickly access the online gambling platform without getting caught.
A VPN will help you get around DraftKings location restrictions. It’ll change your IP address and hide your actual location to trick the site into thinking you’re in a state where it’s legal.