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Gamble-Illinois

Geolocation & Sportsbook Player Location Checks

Geolocation issues on a mobile or online sportsbook are becoming more common. As more of us are going online to place a bet, technology is sometimes stopping this from happening.

The online sports betting industry in Illinois has been extremely successful since launching in the summer of 2020, but there have been some problems as well. A majority of the problems come from trying to locate customers and having that location verified.player location check

Any IL betting app and sportsbooks in Illinois use geolocation services to track a customer’s location, but this doesn’t always provide an accurate location, or work as it should. This can be frustrating for the sports bettor, as sometimes they are not able to access their account when they are inside of the state border.

Geofencing and geolocation services have come a long way since they were first introduced, but there are still plenty of issues that arise. There are a number of solutions that sports bettors can come up with to ensure that they are able to make bets, but sportsbooks are constantly looking for ways to improve this process as well.

In this geolocation guide, we will run you through some of the common geolocation problems and show you how to fix them so you can get back to placing that bet. If you have had enough of Player location check failed messages, we can help fix that.

Geolocation is a form of technology, and its job is to pinpoint your exact location when you fire up the mobile app. This process can take a bit of time, but sports betting operators do all that they can to make this a smooth and fast process.

A player location check is done before any bet is accepted, but again, it is a process that has some flaws. If you have ever seen an error message stating “DraftKings location not found,” then you know how flawed the system can be. DraftKings geolocation is normally very reliable, but even this can have issues sometimes. The daily fantasy sports provider turned sports betting operator has very good technology in place.

Sportsbooks Using Geolocation Services

In the state of Illinois, there are five online sportsbooks as of December 2020 and they all use some form of sportsbook geolocation. These are the only operators that are licensed with the Illinois Gaming Board and able to accept sports betting wagers.

The five online sports betting apps in the state are :

All five of these online sports gambling operators are using some form of geofencing services to track locations for all of their registered users. These geolocation services are not constantly tracking a user’s location, but a check is run every time that a customer accesses their account.

Some of these online sportsbooks have a much more advanced geolocation service, and that causes fewer “error” messages to be displayed. Usually, if your DraftKings Sportsbook app is not working properly, then there is some sort of issue with the location.

BetMGM and PointsBet are two of the best online sportsbooks when it comes to geolocation services. FanDuel is one of the online sportsbooks that seems to produce the most issues when trying to track a location. If you are using FanDuel and keep seeing the FanDuel geocomply no token error or FanDuel location error, player not foundĀ message, it can be extremely annoying. If this continually happens, our advice is to switch to either DraftKings or BetRivers who have the least problems. A lot of players took to reddit to express their issues.

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Even the best operators will have geolocation service issues at some point, and it’s always the customer that is put in a tough position.

Checking For Location

One of the first messages that you will see when logging in to an online sportsbook is “Checking for Location.” Some of the sites do this in the “background,” but sites such as FanDuel will have it up on the main screen until your location is verified.

If you want to save yourself some headache, then it is best to wait until your location has been verified before visiting the sportsbook. If you go to make a bet before this happens, then your bet will be rejected, and you will be forced to start the whole process over again.

If this location check is taking longer than usual, try moving to a new location to help the geolocation services find you. As long as you are in the state of Illinois or another legal state, then there is a good chance that you will be verified at some point.

On a mobile, a sportsbook checks your location using a mixture of GPS, Cell towers, and WiFi. Sometimes you can have a geolocation problem when this doesn’t work. The first thing to check is that location services are correctly turned on.

How to Turn on Location Services

Turning on your location services is extremely important when signing up or accessing your online sports betting account. Most people always have their location services on, but you do have to actually turn it on when you get your phone.

Android mobiles & tablets

Here are the steps needed to turn on location services:

  1. Go to the Settings app on your mobile device
  2. Click on Location or Location permissions
  3. Make sure location is toggled/turned to on
  4. Select the app from App permissions
  5. Click on the correct mobile sportsbook app and allow location to be shared, either all the time or only when using the app

Android location settings DraftKings

iPhone, iPad & iOS devices

Here are the steps needed to turn location services on:

  1. Go to settings and select privacy
  2. Select location services and make sure it’s turned on
  3. Then, select the sportsbook app below
  4. Make sure While using the app is selected

Make sure your GPS is turned on and that you don’t have Airplane mode turned on. If you have done all this and it doesn’t work, try to restart your mobile. Turn data on and off and also your location on and off. If you still experience problems, try using just cell data. This should be all you need to do to confirm your location and pass the player location check. It goes without saying you should be in a legal state that offers sports betting for this to work.

Following these steps should prevent the player location check unable to verify location error. However, if you use a rooted, or jailbroken device then you may have problems accessing any sportsbook on your mobile.

When you are first creating your account at an online sportsbook, you will usually be prompted to allow location services for that app. You can click “Always” to allow the app to constantly track your location, or you can select “Only when using the app.”

Either way, the mobile sportsbook app must have access to your location for the geolocation services to work properly. If you are looking for a way how to bypass FanDuel location checks, you will struggle. The operators use software that can check you are on a VPN and will block you. If you somehow successfully manage to place a wager and are caught, your account will be suspended and you can be banned from betting at the sportsbook.

This problem is not unique to sports betting. It also applies to online casinos, although in many states as online casino gaming is not yet available, even in states that allow sports gambling. This will change in the future as more states offer online casino gaming.

Geocomply Plugin

If you are trying to access an online sportsbook from a desktop computer, then you will be prompted to download a geocomply plugin. This geocomply plugin works to verify your location using your IP address since you are likely using a WiFi connection. Make sure you have a strong WiFi signal as this can also cause location issues.

If you are trying to access an online sportsbook from work or business, there could be firewalls in place that don’t allow for a geocomply plugin to be downloaded. If that is the case, then your chances of placing a bet are extremely slim. Geolocation compliance is very high on a sports betting operator’s priority list as it’s a legal requirement.

When downloading the sports betting app from sites such as FanDuel or DraftKings (Android app, or iPhone version), the geocomply plugin is usually included with that installation. This just adds an additional step to try and pinpoint your location.

Just like with every aspect of technology, this plugin fails from time to time, and you will see an error message when this occurs. If this is the case, then you will need to work to download the plugin again to get back “online” at the sportsbook. If you have downloaded a GeoComply or geolocation plugin and have issues, your internet service provider may have your IP listed in the wrong state. This can be common if you live near a state border or near a large body of water. If this is the case, contact your provider and explain the issue.

What to do if you have Problems With Geolocation

If you have problems with your FanDuel account or with any other sportsbook, then there are some steps that you can take to try to correct the issue. The first step is to ensure that you are actually within the state of Illinois or another state where you can place a legal sports bet.

This might sound like a simple step, but there are a number of sports bettors that live or travel close to the border.

The next step would be to check and ensure that your location services are enabled on your mobile device. This can be turned off rather easily, and if these services aren’t up and running, then geolocation will not work.

If you have verified the first two steps, then your next step needs to be to log out of your account and try logging back in. Remember that it can take a few minutes for your location to be tracked, so let the process play out before moving on.

geolocation sportsbook problems

Restarting your phone is another step you could take, and then once again check location settings when your phone powers back up. If your location is still not verified after all of these steps, then you will need to reach out to customer service.

Why is Geolocation Necessary?

The use of geolocation is necessary for a couple of reasons, but it mainly provides protection for each online sportsbook operator. These sportsbooks are licensed to operate in a regulated state, such as Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, NJ, or Pennsylvania, and they are not allowed to accept bets from outside of the state.

The Illinois Gaming Board requires each operator to have a geolocation service in place before a license is granted. These services are tested well before a site launches, but that doesn’t always mean that everything will always run smoothly.

Even though some neighboring states of Illinois offer mobile sports betting, all of the bets placed in Illinois generate revenue for the Land of Lincoln. Sometimes, a different sportsbook account is required in every state as not all operators are available in all states.

Geolocation is also necessary for legal sports betting because it will ensure that they are seeing the correct betting lines and promotions. Operators can have different offers for different states, and you must be using the correct account to place a bet.

Sportsbook Player Location Check Terminology

Not every operator will use the same terms to talk about geolocation or player location checks. For example, you may see this message DraftKings sportsbook player location check, or FanDuel geocomply no token error. Essentially, they are all the same thing. It just means the technology is having problems with locating you.

The issue may be temporary, or it may last for a few hours. During Super Bowl, there was a big issue with GeoComply and geolocation which left a lot of customers unable to wager on the big game. Yes, it’s annoying when it happens, but hopefully, these issues will now be fixed for future big events.

Problems With Geolocation

There are a number of issues with geolocation services, and some problems don’t have very good solutions. These issues are very similar to your mobile phone dropping calls, or your WiFi going out for some unknown reason.

Geolocation services have evolved and improved over time, but online sportsbooks are constantly fighting issues with this part of their service. If you are in a location that doesn’t have a very good signal, it might be hard to track your location. If you have ever tried to check in on Facebook, share your location on WhatsApp, or flag a cab using Uber, these services all use location settings to see where you are. They don’t always work all the time, and that’s the same when trying to place a wager.

Connecting to WiFi helps to improve your chances of being tracked, and it can help geolocation services operate more smoothly. This isn’t a requirement, but it could help if you continue to see error messages popping up.

There are also those bettors that are searching for ways around the location issue, and they have found ways to beat the system. Every state and sportsbook is worried about this happening, and Illinois sportsbooks are doing all that they can to ensure that they are taking bets from legal customers.

Hopefully, doing these simple steps will allow for the geolocation services to find your exact location and allow you to place a bet. As mobile betting becomes more accessible across the US, we expect these issues to be more common as more people take to their smartphone or computer to take part in live betting and place a wager.

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