Best PokerStars VPNs in 2026 to play securely anywhere
Our in-house cybersecurity experts and journalists, renowned for major reports like The Mother of All Breaches, conduct transparent, unbiased VPN testing and in-depth analysis.
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PokerStars is restricted in 47 US states due to state-by-state gambling laws and limited legalization of online poker.
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Players from legal jurisdictions who travel abroad can access PokerStars from restricted regions by using a reliable VPN to connect to countries or US states where it is available, such as Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Canada, or the UK.
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On April 1st, 2026, PokerStars US was retired and replaced by PokerStars on FanDuel. The platform works in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Despite these changes, PokerStars is still banned in 47 US states.
Luckily, you can play PokerStars from anywhere with a reliable VPN. Moreover, it adds an extra layer of security by hiding your online activity from your ISP and keeping your data safe on public Wi-Fi.
After testing 41 VPNs, I found that NordVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, ExpressVPN, and PureVPN are the best VPNs for unlocking PokerStars in the US. They all offer excellent privacy, along with IP obfuscation features that will help you avoid anti-VPN detectors.
Note: Using a VPN for online poker is legal, but you should always check whether real-money poker is allowed in your country or state before using one. This article is intended to help readers access PokerStars more securely while traveling, not to encourage play where it is restricted or prohibited by local law.
Best VPNs for PokerStars compared
| VPN for PokerStars | Rating | Best for: | Servers | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. NordVPN | All-around VPN use | Thousands of servers in 224 locations | $3.49/month | |
| 2. Surfshark | Playing PokerStars on a budget | 4,500+ servers in 100 countries | $2.49/month price | |
| 3. IPVanish | Playing PokerStars on multiple devices | 3,400+ servers in 112 countries | $2.19/month | |
| 4. ExpressVPN | Privacy and security | Undisclosed number of servers in 113 countries | $3.49/month | |
| 5. PureVPN | Speed retention | 6,000+ servers in 93 countries | $2.15/month |
NordVPN is the best VPN for PokerStars, offering a 3-day free trial for Android users. You can test it risk-free and still be covered by its 30-day money-back guarantee.
We spare no effort to test the products & their features. All information is gathered by our in-house research team & fact-checked by our team of experts. Discover the ins and outs of our testing procedures.
Where is PokerStars legal
PokerStars is currently legal for real-money play in only three US states – Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This means that if you're in any of the 47 restricted states, you won't be able to access PokerStars.
| Where is PokerStars legal in the US | Where is PokerStars restricted |
| Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania | Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
Outside the US, PokerStars prohibits real-money play in over 100 countries. These are usually related to local gambling licensing and regulatory laws.
| Region | PokerStars restricted countries |
| Americas | Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States (except for licensed states: NJ, PA, MI), the US Virgin Islands. |
| Asia and Oceania | Afghanistan, American Samoa, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, China (including Macau), East Timor, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong, India (specific states), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Caledonia, North Korea, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, Yemen. |
| Europe | Aland Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Georgia, the Holy See (Vatican City), Latvia, Luhansk (region), Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Svalbard and Jan Mayen. |
| Africa | Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe. |
To play PokerStars in the US for real money, you must be physically located in Michigan, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania. You can also use a VPN to change your IP address to one in a state or country where PokerStars allows real-money play, but note that this is against PokerStars terms of service.
Furthermore, PokerStars uses GeoComply, which detects and blocks VPNs, proxies, and location-spoofing tools. Attempting to bypass these in some cases may not work and can result in an immediate account ban, loss of playing privileges, and the permanent freezing or confiscation of your funds.
How to play PokerStars in the US with a VPN
- Subscribe to a reliable gambling VPN. During testing, NordVPN’s cheapest plan worked perfectly with PokerStars in the USA and is now $3.49/month.
- Download the VPN to your device.
- Connect to a server in a PokerStars-legal state, like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Michigan.
- Open PokerStars and start playing.
Using VPNs to access platforms like PokerStars is not strictly illegal, but gambling laws and PokerStars terms of service still apply to these restrictions, such as the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Using a VPN to access PokerStars may result in a ban or your funds being blocked.
The best PokerStars VPNs in 2026 – detailed list
In order to play PokerStars, you need a VPN that offers servers in the US, retains speed well, while maintaining excellent privacy and security options to ensure you’re safe while you play.
After testing 41 VPNs, we found that NordVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish, ExpressVPN, and PureVPN were the most reliable VPNs for PokerStars. They consistently accessed PokerStars while maintaining stable, secure connections suitable for uninterrupted gameplay.
1. NordVPN – the overall best VPN for PokerStars
| Rating: | |
| Servers in states where PokerStars is legal: | ✅ Yes, Detroit, MI, Trenton, NJ, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Price: | $3.49/month + 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee |
NordVPN is the best PokerStars VPN due to its global server coverage, including all states in the US. In my tests, NordVPN had 100% success rate at accessing PokerStars (through FanDuel) using servers in Detroit, Trenton, and Pittsburgh.
Servers. NordVPN offers over thousands of servers in 224 locations, including locations where PokerStars is available, such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. During my tests, I managed to access PokerStars in the USA using servers in Trenton (New Jersey) and Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), both of which provided seamless and reliable access.
Speed. PokerStars requires you to make decisions in real-time. NordVPN offers fast servers and low ping, ensuring you avoid lag or disconnects during games and tournaments. Its custom tunneling protocol, NordLynx, is based on the super-fast WireGuard, which retained an average of 90% initial connection speed during in-house tests.
Features. NordVPN helps protect your online privacy when playing PokerStars by using AES-256 encryption. It means that no one, including your internet service provider, will be able to see your internet activity. Its no-logs policy will also ensure that even NordVPN won’t know the sites you visited. This combination of features makes NordVPN an excellent choice for playing PokerStars while retaining your privacy.
Price. NordVPN is the best VPN for PokerStars, costing $3.49/month, and offering a 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is my top choice thanks to its global server coverage, lightning-fast speeds, and robust security features.
For more information about this provider, check out our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark – cheap PokerStars VPN for unlimited devices
| Rating: | |
| Servers in states where PokerStars is: | ✅ Yes, Detroit, MI |
| Price: | $2.49/month + 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee |
Surfshark is the best budget VPN for PokerStars, with plans starting from just $2.49/month and a 7-day free trial for risk-free testing. It offers fast, stable connections and a large server network that makes it easy to access PokerStars in legal countries, such as Canada or Ireland. In my testing, Surfshark reliably accessed PokerStars by connecting to Detroit server, maintaining smooth gameplay without interruptions or repeated reconnections.
Servers. To access the main PokerStars casino platform from the US, Surfshark offers more than 4,500 servers in 100 countries, including PokerStars-friendly countries like Ireland or Canada. Surfshark also offers servers in Detroit, where I was able to access PokerStars FanDuel from the US.
Speed. In my tests, Surfshark retained around 83% of my initial connection speeds, delivering fast, lag-free performance suitable for playing on PokerStars. There was also no lag or drop in speed.
Features. Surfshark comes with Camouflage Mode, or traffic obfuscation, which hides your VPN traffic from PokerStars. And because of the RAM-only servers, your data is in safe hands – it’s wiped out with each reboot, meaning even Surfshark won't know your activity. This regular wiping of data ensures that no sensitive information is stored on the servers for an extended period, enhancing security and effectively protecting user privacy.
Price. Surfshark stands out as an affordable PokerStars VPN, starting at just $2.49/month, and you can test it risk-free thanks to a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s a solid choice for a PokerStars VPN as it maintains seamless connectivity, fast speeds, and can be used on multiple devices with one subscription.
3. IPVanish – beginners-friendly VPN for PokerStars
| Rating: | |
| Servers in states where PokerStars is legal: | ✅ Yes, Detroit, MI |
| Price: | $2.19/month + 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee |
IPVanish is a top PokerStars VPN for its balance of lag-free performance and critical features, such as traffic obfuscation. I easily accessed PokerStars in a restricted US state using servers in Detroit, and played games without any issues.
Servers. IPVanish has over 3,200 servers in 113 countries, many of which allow playing PokerStars, such as Michigan or Canada. After examining various servers from different locations, I found that this VPN works with PokerStars in Australia, Poland, Belgium, and Canada.
Speed. During our in-house IPVanish tests with the WireGuard protocol, IPVanish retained 74% of initial connection speeds on average. So, while playing PokerStars, I noticed no buffering.
Features. IPVanish makes it difficult to detect VPN usage thanks to the Scramble OpenVPN obfuscation feature. You can even use the On Demand feature so that the VPN would automatically connect whenever you turn on PokerStars.
Price. IPVanish is a budget-friendly VPN for PokerStars that offers risk-free access through its 30-day money-back guarantee, with the Essential plan starting at just $2.19/month. It’s a great choice for those looking for a simple, user-friendly PokerStars VPN. While it is not as fast as NordVPN or Surfshark, it does a great job at accessing PokerStars.
4. ExpressVPN – security-focused VPN to play PokerStars for real money
| Rating: |
|
| Servers in states where PokerStars is legal: | ✅ Yes, Detroit, MI, Lincoln Park, MI, New Jersey, NJ, Philadelphia, PA |
| Price: | $3.49/month |
ExpressVPN is one of the best PokerStars VPNs thanks to its powerful security features, a global server fleet, and intuitive apps. This VPN unblocked PokerStars in the US using servers in New Jersey, Canada, and the UK, allowing smooth access almost instantly.
Servers. With plenty of servers in 113 countries, you can access PokerStars from any location if you connect to a server where PokerStars is legal. During my investigation, ExpressVPN unblocked PokerStars with servers in New Jersey, Italy, Canada, and the UK.
Speed. ExpressVPN uses its proprietary Lightway protocol to ensure a stable connection to PokerStars. The final ExpressVPN speed test result was 81% average speed retention rate. This is more than enough to maintain a stable and efficient connection to PokerStars.
Features. With ExpressVPN, you get Stealth servers. They hide the fact that you’re using a VPN, so that PokerStars wouldn’t detect your VPN use. Plus, there’s a Threat Manager that ensures no third-party tracking.
Price. ExpressVPN is on the expensive side, starting at $3.49/month. If you want to securely access PokerStars, ExpressVPN is your bet. However, it is not as fast as NordVPN or Surfshark.
5. PureVPN – fast PokerStars VPN with loads of IPs
| Rating: | |
| Servers in states where PokerStars is legal: | ❌ No servers in the US PokerStars-legal states |
| Price: | $2.15/month + 7-day free trial and a 31-day money-back guarantee |
PureVPN is a fast VPN for accessing PokerStars. It has servers in Canada, the UK, and multiple other PokerStars-friendly locations. This guarantees a stable performance when playing your poker hands from anywhere.
Servers. PureVPN offers 6,000 servers in 93 countries. During our in-house PureVPN tests, it successfully unblocked PokerStars in the US with servers in Canada, Italy, the UK, and other countries.
Speed. I had no trouble accessing PokerStars and betting without interruption with PureVPN. It comes with the powerful WireGuard protocol that maintains 79% of the baseline download speed.
Features. PureVPN offers an obfuscation feature that is an excellent way to avoid VPN detection by PokerStars. It also uses domain fronting to further disguise your usage. Or you can use split tunneling if you only need a VPN for PokerStars.
Price. If you want to test whether PureVPN is the best VPN for PokerStars, you can use its 7-day trial or 30-day money-back guarantee. PureVPN is an excellent choice for a safe and enjoyable PokerStars experience, tho it is not as feature-rich as our top choices.
Why do I need a VPN for PokerStars?
There are many benefits to using a VPN to play on PokerStars and other poker sites. Naturally, the primary perk is circumventing the error message displayed below.
Let’s take a look at those benefits in more detail:
- Site access. In the US, PokerStars is only legal in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and unavailable in other states. To access PokerStars outside these regions, a VPN is the only option. Moreover, playing PokerStars for real money is illegal in many countries due to local regulations and licensing restrictions.
- Security. It’s good to use a VPN for PokerStars if you simply want your connection to be secured, especially if you use public Wi-Fi for that. Also, it can be a good idea to simply hide your activity from your ISP.
- Speed throttling. Your ISP might throttle or slow down, your internet connection speed when certain activities are detected. In these rare cases, a VPN actually speeds things up, not the other way around.
How to play on PokerStars with a VPN
To play PokerStars in the US, you should use a reliable VPN like NordVPN. First, install the app, then connect to a server in a country or region where PokerStars is legal, such as Michigan, Canada, or the UK, then visit PokerStars, sign in, and start playing.
In this detailed guide, I show you exactly how to perform each of these steps so that you can get to playing PokerStars as soon as possible
Step 1. Get a reliable VPN
Since PokerStars is illegal in 47 US states, you need a VPN with servers in states where PokerStars is legal (Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) or countries like Canada or the UK.
In my testing, NordVPN proved to be the best VPN for PokerStars, consistently delivering the fastest and most stable access without interruptions.
Step 2. Install the VPN app on your device
After subscribing, download the VPN app directly from its official website or app store. Remember to always go to the official website, like www.nordvpn.com, and be wary of the first results in your search engine.
Step 3. Connect to a server where PokerStars is legal
PokerStars is legal in multiple countries, including Mexico, Canada, and the UK. It can also be accessed in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. To access PokerStars, pick a server in one of those locations to change your IP address and make it look as though you're accessing the platform from an unrestricted place.
Step 4. Open PokerStars and play real money games anywhere
You should now be able to play PokerStars. Note that you should always ensure your VPN is on before launching PokerStars. Using incognito mode in your browser and enabling server obfuscation may also help.
How to play PokerStars in Australia
The Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill, released in 2023 by the Australian government, makes it practically impossible to play PokerStars with real money in the country. As such, you have to follow this simple guide if you want to enjoy PokerStars in Australia.
- Choose a VPN with great unblocking capabilities. My top choice is NordVPN with its worldwide server fleet
- Download the VPN to your device
- Connect to a country that permits PokerStars, such as New Zealand
- Open the PokerStars app and play real money games without limits
Safety tips for playing PokerStars with a VPN
Nobody wants their PokerStars account frozen or downright banned for using a VPN. Luckily, there are a few tips that can help you to minimize your chances of being detected or losing your funds:
- Turn on the VPN on time. It’s really important that you connect to the desired VPN server before you open your PokerStars client. This way, the service won’t detect an IP change.
- Withdraw your winnings often. As there’s always a chance to get your account frozen, don’t let your winnings accumulate. Withdraw your money as often as possible. This also helps prevent KYC (your identity verification) from being triggered, which would expose your real location.
- Enable the kill switch. Before playing, check whether the VPN’s kill switch is turned on. Even though it's usually enabled by default, some VPNs leave it to the user to decide. The feature prevents your real IP from being exposed if the VPN malfunctions.
- Use obfuscated servers. These kinds of servers hide your VPN traffic as regular traffic, making it harder for PokerStars to detect that you’re using a VPN. You can find server obfuscation in VPNs, such as NordVPN and Surfshark.
In case your VPN can’t seemingly unblock PokerStars, try changing the tunneling protocol first, as the poker client might only block a certain protocol. Also, try your luck with different countries and servers.
Is it legal to use a VPN with PokerStars?
Yes, it is legal to use a VPN to play at PokerStars if online poker is allowed in your country. However, keep in mind that using a VPN doesn’t make an illegal activity into a legal one. So, if you live in a region where gambling is extremely frowned upon, you might still get in trouble.
Also, PokerStars might freeze or ban your account if it catches you using a VPN, especially if it decides to ask for documents to confirm your identity.
Can I use a free VPN for PokerStars?
There is no truly reliable free VPN for PokerStars because most free services lack the speed, server quality, and stability required to bypass strict geo-blocks. In my testing, even popular options like Proton VPN struggled with overloaded servers, slow performance, and limited country access, which quickly led to disconnections or blocked access on PokerStars.
Instead of using a free VPN for PokerStars, it’s much safer to choose a premium VPN like NordVPN, which offers a 3-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test full access risk-free.
Surfshark also provides a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you another reliable option with strong speeds and stable connections for PokerStars.These options let you test full-speed, secure access to PokerStars without risk, making them a far more reliable alternative to any free VPN.
Conclusion
PokerStars is an online poker platform, only available in the majority of Europe countries and some selected regions worldwide. The only reliable way to access it from restricted countries is by using a VPN.
After conducting research, NordVPN proved to be the best PokerStars VPN. It has thousands of servers globally, allowing to access the closest country server where PokerStars is available. Furthermore, it maintains high speeds and strong security when using the website.
However, always check your country’s stance and laws on gambling. Use a VPN on PokerStars only when fully aware of possible penalties for doing so.
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FAQ
Can you play PokerStars with a VPN?
Yes, you can use a VPN to play PokerStars in the US. Just keep in mind that if gambling is illegal in your country, using a VPN won’t make this activity legal.
Can PokerStars detect a VPN?
Yes, PokerStars uses GeoComply, a geolocation service that scans IP addresses, devices, and Wi-Fi networks to analyze usage patterns and detect VPNs. If a VPN is detected, your account may be banned and your payouts put on hold.
Can I use a VPN to play poker in Australia?
Yes, you can use a VPN for accessing PokerStars in Australia. However, keep in mind that Australian laws don’t allow playing with real money, only play money.
Can you play PokerStars in the USA?
Yes, you can play PokerStars for real money in three US states: Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. If you want to play in other states, you can use a VPN to change your IP address. This way, your virtual location will appear to be in a PokerStars-legal country.
Is PokerStars legal in Ohio?
No, PokerStars is not currently legal for real-money online poker in Ohio, as Ohio hasn’t legalized online poker yet. Players can only access PokerStars in states where it’s licensed, like Michigan or Pennsylvania. If you’re outside a PokerStars legal state, you can use a VPN to connect through a server in a supported location. A VPN changes your IP address and encrypts your connection, helping you appear as if you’re browsing from another state or country.
Can I use PokerStars in New York?
No, you can’t use PokerStars in New York as real-money online poker is not legal in the state. To access it from New York, you will need a trustworthy VPN, such as NordVPN. It has servers in every US state, including New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, where PokerStars is legal.
Is PokerStars legal in California?
No, PokerStars is not legally available for real-money play in California because the state does not regulate online poker. If you’re currently in California, the most effective way to access PokerStars from a restricted state is by using a reliable VPN, such as NordVPN. It offers 3,400+ US servers, including locations in PokerStars legal states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, plus fast NordLynx connections and obfuscated servers for improved privacy and stable gameplay.
Is PokerStars legal in Florida?
No, PokerStars is not legal in Florida for real-money play because the state has not regulated online poker yet. Currently, PokerStars only operates in a few approved US states, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. If you’re in Florida, you can use NordVPN to connect through servers in PokerStars legal states. In my tests, NordVPN made it easy to switch to US servers quickly, with stable connections and smooth performance on gaming traffic.
Can I play PokerStars from another country?
Yes, you can play PokerStars from any country you want if you have a reliable VPN with thousands of worldwide servers. It allows you to redirect your traffic through countries where PokerStars isn’t restricted, thus granting access to the gambling site anywhere.
