What is a point spread betting?

A point spread is a range of outcomes and the bet is whether the outcome will be above or below the spread. Spread betting has been a major growth market in the UK in recent years, with the number of gamblers heading towards one million. Financial spread betting (see below) can carry a high level of risk if there is no "stop".

Are shares a good market for spread betting?

Shares are an attractive spread betting market, particularly to people with an interest in business. Many spread betting operators offer spreads for major shares such as Apple and Tesco, creating a tangible connection between spread betting and everyday business for many people involved.

What is vigorish in spread betting?

The vigorish, also known as juice, can be seen on each spread bet before placing your wager. The vig can be thought of as the book’s fee for taking the wager. Arguably the best thing about spread betting is that the odds are normally between the -120 and +100 odds range.

What happens if you open a spread bet?

You could open a spread bet to ‘sell’ the underlying market. The loss or gain to your position would depend on the extent to which your prediction was correct. If the market did decline, your spread bet would profit. But if the price of gold increased instead, your position would make a loss. What is leverage in spread betting?