As more states across the US legalize online casino gambling, one vital piece of software is causing players headaches. This is geolocation software, such as GeoGuards and GeoComply.
Online Casino & Lottery Geolocation Problems & Solutions
Using GeoComply or proving a player’s location through geolocating is essential to verify that players are actually located in these regulated states to allow them access to online and mobile casinos. Like any technology, it can blow our minds as to how good and accurate it is. Other times it can feel like an annoying and repetitive issue that leads to continual annoyance and hassle, even more so when it fails or drops while already playing the casino games!
Geolocation (player location check) and proving your physical location is a legal requirement by any licensed online casino and mobile casino in the US. Real-money casino gaming is not legal in all states, so the operator needs to prove you are physically in that state. This is where geofencing and geolocation come in. The technology can pinpoint your location within inches, thus proving you are in a legal state and eligible to play.
Now, I am guessing you are here as you are having problems with your online casino and geolocation and want to know how to fix it? Our guide to online casino geolocation aims to help.
The first thing we will suggest is to make sure you are using a legal US casino. You can check below for legal casinos based on your state on our website. Like most things in life, some products are good, and some are bad. The NJ online casino operators we have found to have the best, most reliable geolocation software and provide us with the best online experience are:
The three best PA online casinos using geolocation are:
Ok, now you know which operators are the best, are you playing there? You can claim more free bonuses and use several no-deposit bonus codes by having accounts at several online casinos. Different online operators provide different games, different promos, and different experiences. So while we all have our favorite place to play, it’s good to use a few operators to find your favorite. Also, if you are having problems confirming your geolocation at one online casino, you can play at another.
If you are in a state where online casinos are not yet legal, and you are trying to trick your location to play real money games, you are wasting your time. Operators use advanced technology to stop the use of a VPN. This doesn’t mean you can’t play games for real money. Instead, you can play at one of the new range of sweepstake casinos that use the sweepstake model to get around traditional gambling laws. You can find the same great games from all the big providers.
Why Are There Geolocation Issues With Online Casinos?
Just like humans, computers, and software can have off days. We know when using our cell, laptops, wifi, and other devices, one day, they work fine. The next, they play up. Geolocation is needed to provide your location, which can be annoying when it doesn’t. You can be sitting in your house in Trenton, NJ, and even though you are in a legal state, you get an error to say, ‘can’t confirm your location’. Annoying.
If you are on your mobile, there may be an issue with your handset’s GPS receiver, phone settings, a local cell tower, wifi connection, or many other reasons why your location can not be confirmed.
How to Fix Online Casino Geolocation Issues
If you are using a mobile device, you can carry this with you pretty much everywhere. GPS software is built into your device, and with the help of satellites and other technology, operators can find your exact location.
To Fix Geolocation Casino Issues on Your Mobile:
First, as we mentioned, make sure you are using a good operator that is reliable at tracking your location. Make sure you are physically in a legal state as well.
iPhone (iOS) – Make sure you have location settings turned on your device.
- Settings > Privacy > Location services (toggle set to on) > Access the app and confirm to “share location”.
If, after doing this, you still have issues. Try to restart your cell, clear your cache, delete the app and data, and re-download the app from iTunes. If you are one of the thousands of people who have a jailbroken iPhone, then this is well documented you will always struggle with location settings on most apps.
We don’t recommend using a jailbroken device if you are trying to play online casino games. This is because apps like Geoguard are not just a simple IP location check. The checks consider many factors to authenticate your location, including spoofing apps and device and user integrity. In total, there are over 350+ checks done during a transaction.
Android (mobiles & tablets) – Make sure that location settings and services are active on your device. This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
- Settings > Location (toggle settings to on) > App permissions > Find the app > Select Allow all the time or when using the app
You can then restart your mobile, and if necessary, uninstall the app, then redownload it from the operator’s website.
To Fix Geolocation Casino Issues on Your Computer, Laptop, or PC:
Unlike a cell phone, there is no inbuilt GPS in your device. The only way to confirm your location is via wifi or a hard-wired internet connection. Each internet access point will have its own IP address. This IP is linked to a database that confirms the location of the IP. You can be in Atlantic City, Pittsburgh, Charleston, or anywhere in a legal casino state and have your own unique IP. As millions of IP addresses exist, internet providers can occasionally make mistakes and not have you listed in the correct area. Like any technology, this can be common.
Your IP address must be from within a state offering legal online casino gaming in the US. If you live close to the state border, you might be assigned one that isn’t assigned within the permitted gaming jurisdiction. If this is the case, then please contact your internet service provider and explain the issue.
Desktop Wi-FI
If you are using WiFI, make sure your wifi signal is strong enough so the operator can correctly triangulate your location. Even if you aren’t using Wi-Fi on a desktop (Wi-Fi only needs to be turned ON), the geolocation software may need to detect Wi-Fi signals to determine your location. Things such as a Wi-Fi USB adapter will enable older desktops to work using this method.
In many cases, you can connect to the internet using an Ethernet cable as long as you have Wi-Fi enabled as an option at the same time.
If you have just bought a new router or device, it may take a couple of days for the device and unique IP to propagate and be recognized correctly by the geolocation software.
VPN
Using a VPN with an online casino or other software to try and hide or change your location is illegal and against the law when trying to play at legal online casinos. Make sure you are not using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), Remote Desktop (such as Team Viewer), or Virtual Network Client (VNC) such as Witopia, OpenVPN, or HMA. These can interfere with the geolocation process and hinder locating you. Spoofing your location to gamble online or trying to trick your computer location is not allowed with an online casino.
We also recommend removing software that allows computers to be controlled remotely. Things like Zoom and Go2Meeting can also distort the geolocating process. As we mentioned earlier, device integrity is part of these checks, and this may flag up as an issue.
GeoComply Plugin
Players are encouraged to download a geolocation plugin before trying to gamble online. One of the most popular and highly recommended is the GeoComply plugin which works with your browser to confirm your location using your IP address. Using this should also do the trick. If you already have the plugin installed. Uninstall it, download it again and try again. It is available on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Opera browsers.
Allow Geolocation in Chrome
Google Chrome is the most popular browser going and is simple to use and reliable. To allow location settings in Chrome, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:
- Open Chrome on your laptop or PC
- At the top right, click the hamburger menu icon then Settings.
- Click Site Settings under the “Privacy and Security” tab
- Click Location
- Turn On Ask before accessing
Most of the time you visit a website or online casino that needs to know your location, you will see a pop-up like the above. You then need to click Allow so your location can be shared and you can pass the player location checks. If you don’t get the pop-up, then you can click on the Padlock > Site Settings and select the “location options” from here also.
Hopefully, following these steps will fix your casino geolocation issue. If all this doesn’t work, you can always play on your mobile while you wait.
Common Online Casino Geolocation Error Messages
Different operators will word the phrase “we can’t confirm your location” in different ways. Here are some of the common terms you may come across with an online or mobile casino (or even sportsbook geolocation issues) from one of the legal US operators.
- 888 Casino – Unable to Verify Location
- DraftKings Casino – We cannot locate you
- FanDuel Casino – enable location services
- Unibet Casino – you must be physically present in New Jersey or Pennsylvania
- BetMGM Casino – Unable To Verify Location
- Borgata Casino – Unable To Verify Location
- BetRivers & SugarHouse – You need to have Location Services on to enable GPS or Geolocation app required, or install and launch Oobee
- BetRivers Casino – Geolocation failed
- Virgin Casino & Tropicana – users must be aged 21 or over and physically present in the state of New Jersey
- GA Lottery – Player location check not working
Remember, online casinos have stricter rules than other apps for legal reasons, so make sure you are in a legal state before trying to play. Geolocation in online gambling is here to stay and hopefully will improve as technology becomes more accurate and reliable.
If you aren’t in a legal state for real money gambling and you were looking for ways to circumvent these checks, then it really isn’t just a simple case of using a VPN; the technology is far more advanced than this. You should definitely consider playing at sweeps casinos similar to Chumba as an alternative, you may be surprised just how good some of the sweepstake casinos and range of slots are!