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Geolocation FAQ

For help on geolocation issues when using your mobile, click here.

FAQ (Geolocation – desktop/laptop):

If you believe that you are within province borders and you are being restricted from playing for real money on a desktop or laptop computer, there may be an issue with locating you via Wi-Fi. Check to make sure that you have your computer’s Wi-Fi signal/capability turned on. If your computer is not equipped with Wi-Fi you will need to obtain a Wi-Fi adapter.  

Devices without Wi-Fi capabilities can use a USB Wi-Fi dongle to enable Wi-Fi. We recommend using a USB Wi-Fi dongle if you only have one device. The dongle connects to a USB port and will allow your computer to be Wi-Fi enabled. Once your device is Wi-Fi enabled, our software should locate you successfully.

To access real money gaming in a web browser you will need to install GeoComply Player Location Check (PLC v. 3.1.1.3) plugin on your computer. This is because we are required by Ontario regulation to check that you are physically located in the province of Ontario.

If you leave Ontario during your session, you will no longer be eligible and your ability to continue playing real money games will be terminated. We will need to re-confirm you are physically located in Ontario in order for your session to resume.

In most cases, yes, however if you are less than a kilometer from the border, you may be blocked from play and will need to move further away from the border and try again. Moving further away from the border may improve the ability to identify your location. Your IP address may also be incorrectly placing you in a neighboring province and you will need to correct your IP address. You will need to contact your ISP to correct your IP address.

If you have remote desktop software running on your device, you will not be able to access real money gaming. You will need to close these programs and ensure they are no longer running on your device.

The behavior of these programs varies, however you will first need to close all known remote desktop programs on your device.

  • For PC, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to access the Task Manager. From the Task Manager you can force individual programs to close.
  • For Mac, you must open the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder of Applications. From the Activity Monitor you can force individual programs to close.

If the problem persists, you may be required to remove the programs completely. To remove programs from the computer:

  • On a PC, open Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall > and select/remove the program from the list.
  • On a Mac, locate the program in the Applications folder and drag to the trash.

If you have a proxy or VPN running on your device, you will not be able to access real money gaming. You will need to quit these programs and ensure they are no longer running on your device.

In most cases you will need to adjust your browser settings:

  • For Internet Explorer: Tools > Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings > Uncheck the box for Proxy Server
    VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/U9VhSrJobmU
  • For Chrome: Menu > Settings > and select “disable extension” in the “Proxy” section
    VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/h9dvuFqvzYw
  • For Firefox: Select tools > Options > Advanced Network (tab) > Settings. In the Connection Settings window, ensure that the ‘No Proxy’ option is selected. Then click on the OK button to apply the changes
    VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/v_OJWyR5-vE

*(These processes may differ between the different browser versions)*

In the case of a downloadable VPN, you will be required to shut down all running processes of such applications.

  • For PC: press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to access the Task Manager. From the Task Manager you can force individual programs to close.
  • For Mac: you must open the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder of Applications. From the Activity Monitor you can force individual programs to close.

For proxy services that are enabled from a specific website such HMA, your session/service must be terminated to proceed.

We have detected unusual activity from your IP address, and our proxy check can be sensitive to possible viruses infecting a user's computer. If you're certain you're not using a proxy but still failing this check, the issue could be related to viruses or malware on your device or any other device that shares your internet connection. We recommend checking your computer for possible viruses and/or malware (remove any that are present), and ensure you have an updated anti-virus program installed and running. Once you have removed the malware, it can take up to a few days for the update to take effect in our systems. For a list of Google's recommended anti-virus software, please visit https://www.google.com/safetycenter/everyone/cybercrime/devices/

A public Wi-Fi network (e.g. coffee shop, hotel, etc. where a network is shared with many other people), especially those run by larger businesses, may be associated with a location outside of Ontario and prevent access to real-money gaming. To resolve this issue, try accessing the internet from another location/connection source, preferably a private, password protected, un-shared, secure Wi-Fi connection such as your home or work network.

The simplest and most effective way to re-boot a Wi-Fi router is to unplug the router from its power source, wait up to 30 seconds and plug it back in. Be sure to give the router a bit of time to fully re-boot and connect before trying again.

For Windows 7 or Vista, go the Start Menu > Control Panel > in the top right of the Control Panel open the View dropdown menu > select Category > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. If your device has a Wi-Fi adaptor you will get an option to select "Change adapter settings" from the left column. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/DXT9aYoNsuA

For Windows 8, from the Apps screen, swipe/scroll to the right and find the Windows System category > Control Panel > in the top right of the Control Panel open the View dropdown menu > select Category > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present. If it does have a Wi-Fi adaptor, you will get an option to select “Change adapter settings” from the left column. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/DXT9aYoNsuA

For Windows 10, Right-click on the Windows Logo on the bottom left > Select ‘Network Connections’ Right-click on ‘Wi-Fi’ > select ‘Enable’. If your device doesn’t have Wi-Fi adapter, ‘Wi-Fi’ will likely not be present.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/3H8GTsEjGT0

For Windows XP, go the Start Menu > Control Panel > in the top right of the Control Panel open the View dropdown menu > select Category > Network and Internet > Network Connections > Wireless Network Connection. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present.

VIDEO LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Xcmmh2-2g

Wi-Fi access points are devices that allow you to connect to network/internet sources through their own Wi-Fi enabled device. The more available access points nearby, the more accurately we can locate you. Your device does not necessarily need to be connected to any of these networks, but simply must be able to 'see' them.

If your device cannot see enough Wi-Fi APs, it will be difficult to locate you. This may occur in rural areas or even in very tall buildings. Try moving to an area with more APs nearby, or using a Wi-Fi extender in order to detect more APs that may be a greater distance away.

For Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar > choose "Turn Wi-Fi on" > select a nearby Wi-Fi network from the list. If you don't see the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, from the Apple menu > choose System Preferences > click Network in the System Preferences window > select Wi-Fi in the list of available network connections > press "Turn Wi-Fi on" button.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/hsWKPTOIWks

For Windows 7 or Vista, go the Start Menu > Control Panel > in the top right of the Control Panel open the View dropdown menu > select Category > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. If your device has a Wi-Fi adaptor you will get an option to select "Change adapter settings" from the left column. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present. If it does have a Wi-Fi adaptor, it will appear here, right click on your Wi-Fi adapter (will be called something like Wi-Fi or Wireless Network Connection) and select enable.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/IKcJsPe9eu0

For Windows 8, from the Apps screen, swipe/scroll to the right and find the Windows System category > Control Panel > in the top right of the Control Panel open the View dropdown menu > select Category > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present. If it does have a Wi-Fi adaptor, it will appear here, select “Change adapter settings” from the left column > right click on your Wi-Fi adapter (will be called something like Wi-Fi or Wireless Network Connection) and select enable.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/IKcJsPe9eu0

For Windows 10, Right-click on the Windows Logo on the bottom left > Select ‘Network Connections’ Right-click on ‘Wi-Fi’ > select ‘Connect/Disconnect’ > Select ‘Wi-Fi’ > Switch to ‘On’ > choose network from the list of available > press ‘Connect’.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/3H8GTsEjGT0

For Windows XP, go the Start Menu > Control Panel > in the top right of the Control Panel open the View dropdown menu > select Category > Network and Internet > Network Connections > Wireless Network Connection. If your device does not have a Wi-Fi adaptor, this will likely not be present. If it does have a Wi-Fi adaptor, it will appear here, and all you need to do is select “enable”.

You will be required to manually shutdown the processes.

  • For PC, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to access the Task Manager. From the Task Manager you can force individual programs to close.
  • For Mac, they must open the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder of their Applications. From the Activity Monitor you can force individual programs to close.

If the problem persists, you may be required to remove the programs completely. To remove programs from the computer completely:

  • On a PC, open Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall > and select/remove the program from the list.
  • On a Mac, locate the program in the Applications folder and drag to the trash.

You do not need to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi; you just have to have Wi-Fi enabled on your device (and able to see available Wi-Fi networks). You can still be connected to the internet via an Ethernet cable and have Wi-Fi on at the same time.

Yes, you can play on your computer or mobile device using a 3G/4G mobile internet connection, such as 3G/4G cell phone network, a 3G/4G USB dongle, a wireless mobile hotspot device, or tethering mobile internet from your cell phone.

If you are experiencing an unexpected geolocation error, check to ensure you have the latest software/app installed. You can download the latest version of PokerStars ON here. You may be reminded to update during your next login if you have not already done so.

FAQ (Geolocation - mobile):

If you believe that you are within province borders and you are being restricted from real money gaming on a mobile phone or tablet, make sure that your device’s Location Services are turned on. Enabling Wi-Fi, GPS and/or cellular data on the device can also assist us to successfully locate you.

In order to play, we need to locate you within permitted jurisdictions. Our location systems require Wi-Fi, GPS, or GSM signals to locate you. The more network signals you have within range of your device, the more accurately we can locate you.

Android and iOS devices are supported.  This includes Android cell phones and tablets, and iPhones, iPads, and iPad minis.

Locating you from a mobile phone should not be more difficult than on a computer, so long as you have Location Services/GPS/Wi-Fi enabled on your phone.

You need to have Location Services on to enable GPS.

To turn on Location services:

If you're trying to play on an Android device, and not being accurately located, then you may need to clear your cache from your mobile in order to be accurately located. To do this, go to Settings > Name of app used to access gaming service (gaming app or browser app) > and select Clear Cache. Another easy way to clear the cache across all apps on your phone is to download an app from the 'Play Store' store for this such as App Cache Cleaner.

You will need to manually turn on your devices Wi-Fi.

Cellular reception is greatly affected by your physical location. If you are in a basement/underground parking lot this may impede your ability to be located - try moving to an open area so you are in closer range of a cell tower. Some areas in a building or house may have 'dead zones' with little to no cellular reception - try to adjust your location in order to obtain better reception. Players in rural areas with little/poor cell tower reception may need to change their location more drastically to obtain a stronger signal.

You will need to manually disable location mocking settings.

  1. Tap the menu button, then Settings
  2. From the 'Settings' screen, go to 'Applications' by tapping on 'Applications'
  3. From the 'Application settings' screen, go to 'Development' by tapping on 'Development'
  4. On the 'Development' screen tap the check box next to 'Allow mock locations

You will need to manually disable your proxy connection.

  • For iPhone: Settings > Wi-Fi > select connected Wi-Fi network > HTTTP PROXY > select 'Off'
    VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/SqV672bdBoM
  • For Android: Settings > WLAN > tap and hold connected Wi-Fi network > select 'Show advanced options' > go to ‘Proxy’ > select ‘None’ > save changes
    VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/dAp5aAsS91

No. In order to play for real money, you must use a device with the original manufacturer settings.