Player Location Check - Geolocation for Online Gambling

Online gambling is a multi-billion dollar industry and growing. Player location check became vital with the rise of online sports betting and online gambling. In general, the need for technology that ensures you to comply with federal and state regulations has also increased, so player location check is vital.

Before lawmakers approved online gaming, they wanted to make sure that operators could know exactly where their customers were placing their bets, and that they would exclude anyone outside their state borders.

This would ensure that no interstate commerce occurs in violation of laws and that no gambling takes place across state lines where online gambling may not be permitted. That's where geolocation comes in.

What is Geolocation?

Geolocation is a technology that helps pinpoint a person's position as accurately as possible. There are several methods to achieve this: either by capturing the player's IP address or by triangulating their location via the WiFi signal.

Now that we're clear, in the WiFi case it is about the WiFi Positioning System, also abbreviated WPS, WiPS, or WFPS.

This is overall a geolocation system that functions as your average GPS, but it uses wireless access points instead of satellite navigation.

It is clear that geolocation is about the geographic location of individuals, or rather their mobile devices. In connection with the online best casino apps that pay real money, it is about determining the location of customers. 

The technology can specifically record your coordinates from every point, it registers them and uses them to provide you with you accurate info on your device.

Accordingly, it is possible to locate the current geographic location of objects such as your cell phone or an internet-connected device at home. 

The term geolocalization summarizes the process of geographical localization of Internet-enabled devices and the specifically determined geographical location.

How Does Geolocation Work?

We all use geolocation in one way or another. For example, that cool image that you posted on Instagram from your holiday and tagged it? The app used geolocation to find the location you used when posting.

Geolocation is a part of our mobile daily lives, but also companies make high use of it, mainly by making sure that when you use their platforms, the online user experience is nice and smooth.

It can be accurate within 2 to 3 feet. When on a mobile device, it can be tracked via GPS or through a combination of cell tower data, WiFi signals, and Bluetooth signals.

Why is Player Location Check Necessary?

When it comes to online gambling, ensuring geolocation accuracy is really important. Operators must ensure that people gamble only within jurisdictional limits set by regulators.

All states that have legalized online sports betting and online gambling require players to play within the authorized state. To determine if the player can play, it is necessary to determine their exact physical location through geolocation.

Regulators have also set additional limits within state borders as required by the enactment of legislation or leveraging geolocation technology for taxation where rates vary by location within a state.

Geolocation uses a combination of software and hardware designed to fence devices in or out of permitted usage areas. Leaving the geofenced border you will not be permitted to play your favorite games online.

If operators don’t comply with all geolocation regulations, they can face severe fines and penalties and even risk their license.

What Is a Geolocation Plugin?

A geolocation plugin is a plugin that has to be installed so the casino of your choice can verify your location. The plugin is available on desktops and laptops that run on iOS, Android, or Windows operating systems.

This plugin needs to be downloaded and installed on your computer for the site to be able to track your IP address. Some computers may have a firewall attached that will prevent you from installing the plugin and you may not be able to play at the online casino.

However, if you choose to play from your phone using an app, you don’t need to install the plugin as it’s automatically installed at the same time the casino app is being installed.

What if the Geolocation Plugin is Not Working?

If you are having trouble with your geolocation plugin, please follow these easy steps:

How to Allow Player Location Services on Your Phone

For Android:

 

For iOS - iPhone, iPad, iPod:

Fixing Geolocation Troubleshooting on Laptop or PC

Unlike a mobile that uses built-in GPS, a PC uses WI-FI to verify your location. In this case, you need a strong WI-FI signal for the site to be able to correctly track your location. 

However, if you live near the border or the ocean, you might be assigned an IP address that isn’t assigned within the legal gambling jurisdiction. If you are having difficulties with player location verification, you might want to consider a geolocation plugin.

How to Allow Geolocation on your PC

Geolocation Expired - What to Do?

In case you get the geolocation expired error, you will have to leave the application, reload and confirm your location again. 

In some cases, you might have to restart the phone and also clear the cache. If you are playing from your mobile, you might be forced out of the game if your player location check expires.

Common Casino Geolocation Error Messages 

If the player location check is not working you might stumble upon these messages:

Fixing Geolocation Errors on Mobile

If mobile casinos can’t verify their location, you will usually get an error message on your mobile. If that is the case, you don’t need to panic because nine out of ten, it can be fixed.

Some casinos have better location services than others, so we recommend you do a little research before choosing an online casino. If you have trouble fixing geolocation errors, follow these steps:

Best Online Casinos with Location Services

As we mentioned above, some casinos offer better player location service than others. If you’re looking for the best online casinos that offer great location services, look no further. 

We offer a huge collection of casinos that will satisfy even the most demanding players!

Geolocation as a Marketing Tool

Behavioral analysis is closely linked to marketing and player protection and has become widespread in the gambling industry. 

In the past, people used data analysis to calculate odds in sports betting, but operators can now use it to track player movement and behavior. 

Location-based technology is here to stay, and gambling operators will use these technologies in every way possible. One of these ways is target marketing. 

It is up to all stakeholders, including gaming regulators, to monitor how geolocation is used today and in the future.

Bypass Player Location Verification?

The thought of gaining access to a no deposit bonus online casino with a VPN is tempting. With a good VPN provider, it is possible to simulate a physical location in a state.

Provided you manage to log in and verify your residential address, which eventually has to be registered in the country, it is theoretically possible to use legal online casinos outside of the legal borders. 

However, it is not advisable to do so, since the use of a virtual private network is always prohibited in the terms and conditions.

And beware, if you are caught by a technical glitch, you may lose your account as you will be banned and potential winnings will be annulled. 

The Future of Geolocation

Just as the regulatory landscape in online gambling has evolved, so did the technology for geolocation. Back in the day, players simply had to state their location in order to gamble online.

Geolocation for gambling became vital for identifying a player's location and deciding whether he is located in a legal jurisdiction. Player location will only get better and more precise and we can expect more and more operators to come up with state-of-the-art technology in this field.

It behooves everyone in the industry to keep up with the latest technology trends, device updates, and governance requirements regarding casino geolocation as new uses for the technology are envisioned.

Final Thoughts 

Having casinos know your location while you place winning bets, is a good thing. Your online and financial safety depends on it, after all!

Of course, if you have any questions about it, we are open to discussion. We actually enjoy talking with our cool community.

A little secret is that knowing more about gambling might, probably, give better chances of winning.

Wait no longer - Our ultimate online casino guides section is here to share all details with you. Go read them, then feel free to try the FREE to play casino games. Our fine selection awaits you!