How To Access Banned Gambling Sites in South Korea (in 2024)
South Korea’s battle against online gambling has been going on for many years. The Asian country blocks access to popular gambling sites, preventing its citizens and residents from gambling online. Despite the restrictions the Korean government places on online gambling sites, the gambling industry in South Korea is thriving.
While physical gambling is allowed, although heavily regulated, the Korean government does not hide its distaste for online gambling. Anyone caught risks paying a heavy fine or going to jail. However, there is one secure way to gamble online: use a Virtual Private Network. This article shows online gamblers in South Korea how they can securely access banned gambling sites.
Accessing Banned Gambling Sites in South Korea
For online gamblers living in South Korea, the primary purpose of using a VPN is to bypass internet censorship. A VPN encrypts your connection, making it secure and private. Additionally, it prevents your ISP and, by extension, the Korean government from monitoring your online activities and blocking access to gambling sites. With a VPN, you have access to countries where the VPN service provider’s servers are located. So, how do you use a VPN to access banned gambling sites in South Korea? Let’s dive in below.
1. Find a reputable VPN service provider, create an account, and pay for a subscription plan.
2. Download the VPN application on your device and install it.
3. Open the application, log in with your account credentials, and select a server outside South Korea. Note that the server must be in a country that approves online gambling.
4. Open your browser and go to the gambling site you want to access or use the application of the gambling company.
That’s all you need to do to bypass South Korea’s censorship of online gambling sites.
Recommended VPNs for Gambling Sites in South Korea
We have done our research, and the results show that the VPNs below will give you access, with little or no issues, to online gambling sites the Korean government has prevented you from visiting.
ExpressVPN
Features
- Number of servers: More than 3,000
- Speeds: Unlimited
- Server locations: 160 in 94 countries
- Maximum devices supported: 5
- 24 live chat: Yes
- 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
Pros/Cons
- Fastest VPN out there
- Strict no logs policy
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Few discounts
Long-time VPN service provider ExpressVPN is the best option to bypass heavy censorship to access gambling sites. Its presence in South Korea makes it more desirable as it has at least one server location in the Asian country. Globally, ExpressVPN has a server fleet comprising over 3000 servers spread across 94 countries.
In the fight for privacy, ExpressVPN’s No-Log Policy prevents anyone, including the South Korean government, from accessing users’ data on its servers. In addition, its British Virgin Islands headquarters does not require the top VPN service provider to store users’ connection data. ExpressVPN provides leak protection, RAM-only servers, Tor over VPN, and a kill switch to protect your privacy.
It will be difficult for the South Korean government to find you gambling online as ExpressVPN protects your connection with AES-256 and VPN protocols such as OpenVPN, IPSec, and IKEv2. Additionally, it uses a proprietary Lightway protocol that is responsible, in part, for its fast servers, which is necessary for gambling online.
You can use the ExpressVPN application on different operating systems, including macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. ExpressVPN is not cheap monthly, but you will find discounts on other plans. Finally, ExpressVPN allows a 30-day risk-free period and five concurrent connections per user.
- Pros: Fastest VPN out there; Strict no logs policy; 256-bit AES encryption;
- Lowest price: $6.67
NordVPN
Features
- Cryptocurrency accepted? Yes
- Simultaneous connections: 6
- Dedicated IP-addresses? Yes
- Servers: 5342 in 58 countries
Pros/Cons
- Lots of pricing options
- Netflix support kept up to date
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Slow app
While NordVPN has not been in the VPN industry as long as ExpressVPN, it is going stride for stride with ExpressVPN. In fact, it edges the apex service provider when it comes to speed. NordVPN has at least ten servers in South Korea and over 5400 globally. Present in 59 countries, it allows online gamblers in South Korea to explore the gambling world without restriction.
NordVPN’s airtight No-Log Policy, combined with other privacy features, prevents South Korean ISPs or the government from seeing your online gambling activities. It has a bitcoin payment option, a kill switch, Double VPN servers, and DNS/IPv6/WebRTC leak protection.
In addition, its security structure is top-notch. Features such as 256-bit encryption, perfect forward secrecy, and secure VPN protocols prevent bad actors from infiltrating your network while gambling online. Furthermore, it is the fastest VPN service provider, thanks to its proprietary WireGuard-based NordLynx protocol.
NordVPN has easy-to-use custom applications for different mobile and desktop operating systems such as Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows. Potential NordVPN users will be glad to find out it is cheaper than ExpressVPN yet boasts more features. In addition, you can use it risk-free as it has a 30-day cash-back policy. Furthermore, each user can have up to six simultaneous connections.
- Pros: Lots of pricing options; Netflix support kept up to date; 256-bit AES encryption;
- Lowest price: $3.71
Surfshark
Features
- Free trial? Yes
- Simultaneous connections: Unlimited
- Ad blocking? Yes
- Servers: 1000+ in 61 countries
Pros/Cons
- No footprints
- Allows torrenting
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Not the fastest
Surfshark is another VPN service you want to put on your radar. This VPN service provider is relatively a newcomer in the industry but delivers like a veteran. Surfshark will help you access blocked online gambling sites in South Korea as it has servers resident in the country. In addition, its global presence amounts to more than 3000 servers in 65 countries.
Swift, dependable, and resilient are examples of adjectives you can use to describe Surfshark. You can depend on Surfshark to keep you anonymous as you visit online gambling sites. It has leak protection, a camouflage mode, a warrant canary, and a strict No-Log Policy that prevents logging users’ personal and connection data. In addition, it has its headquarters in a privacy-friendly country.
Surfshark uses fast and reliable VPN protocols such as IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN. In addition, you have a 256-bit encryption algorithm protecting your connection to online gambling sites. Furthermore, Surfshark’s CleanWeb blocks unwanted ads on gambling sites.
This VPN service provider is a brilliant choice for bypassing blocked online gambling sites in South Korea as it has affordable subscription packages. In addition, you can use your account on as many devices as you want.
- Pros: No footprints; Allows torrenting; 256-bit AES encryption;
- Lowest Price: $2.49
ProtonVPN
Features
- P2P support? Yes
- 30-day money-back guarantee? Yes
- Country of origin? Switzerland
- Servers: 600+ in over 40 countries
- Simultaneous devices: 5
Pros/Cons
- Professional support
- Modern interface and apps
- AES-256 encryption
- Lesser known provider
ProtonVPN is another trustworthy service provider you can bank on to give you access to gambling sites the Korean government blocks. Eight out of its over a thousand servers are present in South Korea. Apart from Korea, its server network spans 53 other countries. This Switzerland-based VPN service provider is known for being a solid privacy-focused VPN.
Firstly, Switzerland’s privacy-friendly laws ensure that ProtonVPN does not retain its customers’ data or connection history. In addition, ProtonVPN’s open-source applications make it a desirable option for gamblers looking to protect their privacy. Furthermore, SEC Consult was in charge of the full security audit that verified ProtonVPN’s applications are secure.
Apart from privacy, ProtonVPN also stands tall when it comes to security. Its NetShield feature specifically targets unwanted and malicious ads so you can enjoy your online gambling ad-free. Additionally, ProtonVPN uses a 256-bit encryption cipher and VPN protocols such as IKEv2/IPSec and OpenVPN to ensure your connection is impenetrable. It also includes leak protection, Tor over VPN, and Secure Core servers as part of its security features.
ProtonVPN has a free plan and three paid subscription packages. Apart from its open-source applications, you can use it on several devices by manually installing it. ProtonVPN has a risk-free 30-day period.
- Pros: Professional support; Modern interface and apps; AES-256 encryption;
- Lowest price: €4
CyberGhost
Features
- Connected devices at once: 7
- Automatic kill switch? Yes
- One click connect: Yes
- Servers: 5900 worldwide
Pros/Cons
- No logs policy
- 24/7 live chat
- Apps for mobile devices and routers
- No free option
CyberGhost has the most extensive server network on this list. With over 7000 servers spanning 91 countries, bypassing internet censorship to access gambling sites will not be a challenging adventure. In addition, you will have no problem accessing local South Korean sites as it has 24 servers in the country.
This Romania-based VPN service provider is committed to keeping its users away from the 14 Eyes Alliance and other surveillance-sharing agreements. Also, like the VPNs above, CyberGhost maintains a valid No-Log Policy. Furthermore, it protects you from unwanted leaks that expose your IP address.
CyberGhost uses best-in-class security features to ensure a tight security perimeter. You have features such as 256-bit encryption, Double VPN, Tor over VPN, Split Tunneling, and a Kill Switch. In addition, fast and reliable VPN protocols such as WireGuard and OpenVPN ensure swift and safe connections while accessing online gambling sites.
You can use CyberGhost on several operating systems, as it has native applications for mainstream ones and manual installation instructions for others on its websites. Fortunately, this VPN is very affordable. Unlike other VPNs, CyberGhost has a 45-day risk-free period on its subscription plans, except its monthly one, which has a 14-day risk-free period.
- Pros: No logs policy; 24/7 live chat; Apps for mobile devices and routers;
- Lowest price: €2
Are VPNs Legal in South Korea?
VPNs are legal in South Korea, as there is no law that prevents people resident in the country from using them. However, this does not mean that you can do whatever you like while using a VPN, as the Korean government will crackdown on online activities that are illegal.
For example, online gambling is illegal in South Korea. Under its laws, the South Korean government has every legal right to persecute anyone it finds guilty of online gambling or any other crime. So, until the South Korean government decides online gambling is a legal affair, you have to use the best VPNs to ensure ISPs or the government cannot see your online activities.
What Makes a Good VPN for Online Gambling in South Korea
You have to look out for a few things when selecting a VPN for online gambling in South Korea. Let’s look at them below.
1. Server Network
The server network of a VPN is important in deciding a VPN to use. This is because you need access to countries that do not consider gambling illegal. In addition, the more countries a VPN service has servers in, the more options online gamblers have. Furthermore, the number of servers can determine its performance since more servers make room for less congestion or bottlenecks.
2. Security
The VPN you select should have best-in-class security features such as 256-bit encryption, perfect forward secrecy, Double VPN, an adblocker, split tunneling, and secure VPN protocols. Security is crucial as malicious entities on gambling sites are looking for vulnerabilities to exploit, and one of them is a weak connection. The VPNs we recommended have top-notch security features and will protect you adequately.
3. Privacy
In terms of privacy, you need to look out for a VPN that will do all in its power to ensure your anonymity is secure. This is important because Korean ISPs can figure out what you’re doing on the internet if a VPN leaks your IP address. They can involve the authorities or block access to the site you’re on if they discover you’re gambling. This is why you have to look out for features such as built-in leak protection and a kill switch.
4. Speed
Fast connections are also something you have to consider when searching for a VPN for online gambling. We can all agree that a slow connection will not give anyone a pleasurable experience on any site, let alone gambling sites.
Conclusion
A VPN is critical for online gamblers in South Korea. ExpressVPN is the best VPN in the market, but it is fighting for its position at the top with NordVPN. With the VPNs we have recommended, you should not have any issues bypassing internet censorship in South Korea to have full access to gambling sites outside the country.