Best Financial Spread Betting Sites

What to look for

The great news for spread bettors is that the number of new companies that have entered the market over the past few years has made it an increasingly competitive place to be. The result has seen slicker systems, tighter spreads and a host of other benefits. Comparison Tables.

So what should a potential spread bettor look for in a new account provider?

Well, first and foremost the provider should be registered with the Financial Services Authority - this is the case with all the mainstream brokers and guarantees that they are regulated and that your deposits with them are protected.

Other points to look for are:

1. What is the size of the spread? The smaller the better as it is effectively the cost of trading. See Comparison Tables
2. What is the minimum bet size? If you've got a small trading account smaller minimum stakes allow you to manage the risk more flexibly. See Comparison Tables
3. Are there any introductory joining offers? See Offers
4. What are the finance charges levied on things such as rolling bets?
5. What are the margin requirements? This determines how much you will need to deposit to be able to trade on your chosen instrument.
6. Is the platform easy to use and stable? A trader doesn't want to be using a complex system which has a tendency to crash.
7. What is the underlying customer service like. Do they answer their emails and do they answer telephone calls?
8. What is the education like for learning the platform and spread betting. Are there tutorials, is there a demo platform?
9. Does the provider offer all the instruments that you wish to trade on - all will do the most popular but some companies do offer a greater variety of markets to bet on.
10. Are there any incentives being offered to join?
11. Some spread betting companies do provide access globally which may be relevant. However, tax laws and, in fact, legality in relation to spread betting vary from country to country so it is important that each trader makes himself aware of the regulations in their country of residence.

And don't forget that there is no rule that prohibits a trader from having more than one account open to compare for herself.

The providers that are highlighted on this site are all well established and well regarded so they generally meet the key criteria. Beyond that it can be down to how much a trader likes the layout, feel and peripheral information that a site provides.