Also known as: Financial Spread Betting, Spreadbetting, UK Spread Betting
Spread betting is a leveraged derivative product, offered mainly to UK and Ireland residents, in which you stake an amount of money per point of price movement in an instrument without owning it. Your profit or loss is the stake multiplied by how many points the price moves in or against your direction.
Because it is legally structured as a bet rather than an investment, spread betting profits are currently exempt from UK Capital Gains Tax and free of stamp duty for most retail clients (tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and can change). The trade-off is that losses are not tax-deductible either, and the product is leveraged, so losses can exceed the initial stake unless guaranteed stops are used.
Mechanically it resembles a CFD. If GBP/USD trades at 1.2500/1.2502 and you go long at GBP 10 per point, a 40-point rise to 1.2542 yields a GBP 400 profit; a 40-point fall costs you GBP 400. The broker quotes a slightly wider spread than the underlying market and earns from that spread rather than a separate commission.
Spread betting is regulated by the FCA and is subject to ESMA-derived retail leverage caps (for example 30:1 on major FX). Providers such as IG, CMC Markets, and Spreadex offer it, and FCA rules require risk warnings showing the percentage of retail accounts that lose money — commonly in the 68–80% range.
You choose an instrument and a stake size per point (per pip in FX, per point on an index or share). Going long profits from a rising price; going short profits from a falling price. Your running P&L updates continuously as stake multiplied by point movement.
The provider quotes a two-sided price wider than the underlying market — the extra width is the spread, which is how the provider is paid; there is usually no separate commission on FX and index bets. Positions are leveraged, so you post only a margin percentage of full exposure, and the FCA caps retail leverage (for example 30:1 on major FX, lower on equities and crypto).
Because losses can exceed your deposit, many bettors attach a guaranteed stop (a premium-charged order that closes at a set level with no slippage). Profits are realised free of UK Capital Gains Tax for typical retail clients, though HMRC treatment depends on personal circumstances and may change.
Select an instrument — FX pair, index, commodity, or share — and the direction you expect it to move.
Choose how much money you risk per point of movement; this replaces the concept of lot or contract size.
Buy (long) if you expect a rise or sell (short) if you expect a fall; the provider quotes a spread-widened price.
Attach a stop-loss or guaranteed stop, since leverage means losses can exceed your initial stake.
Close the bet; profit or loss equals stake per point times points moved, realised free of UK CGT for typical retail clients.
Why it matters for partnership: For UK and Ireland traffic, the current CGT and stamp-duty exemption is a powerful, legitimate acquisition angle that lifts conversion. Partners earn via CPA or spread-share rebates, but must pair the tax angle with the mandatory FCA risk warning and "tax treatment can change" caveat.
An affiliate publishes a "spread betting vs CFD for UK residents" comparison. A reader opens an IG spread betting account via the link and goes long the FTSE 100 at GBP 2 per point; a 60-point rise returns GBP 120 with no CGT due, versus a CFD position of the same size that could be taxable. The affiliate is paid a CPA on the funded account, and the page carries IG's FCA risk warning.
| Feature | Spread betting | CFD |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | UK and Ireland only | Global (subject to local rules) |
| UK Capital Gains Tax | Currently exempt for typical retail | Potentially taxable |
| Stamp duty | None | None on the CFD itself |
| Position sizing | Stake per point | Contracts / lots |
| Losses offset tax | No | Losses can be offset against gains |
Lead UK/Ireland pages with the tax-efficiency angle, but always add "tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change" plus the provider's FCA risk warning — an unqualified tax claim is a promotions breach.
Promoting spread betting to audiences outside the UK and Ireland, where it is typically unavailable or taxed differently, wastes budget and can breach local financial-promotion rules.
For most UK and Ireland retail clients it is currently free of Capital Gains Tax and stamp duty, but treatment depends on your personal circumstances and HMRC rules can change.
Yes. Providers run partner programmes paying a CPA on funded accounts or a share of the spread, similar to CFD partnerships.
The economics are similar, but spread betting is sized per point and is UK/Ireland-only with different tax treatment, whereas CFDs are contract-based and available more widely.
Yes, because it is leveraged. A guaranteed stop caps the downside at a set level for a premium, but standard stops can slip in fast markets.
In the UK it is regulated by the FCA, with ESMA-derived retail leverage limits and mandatory risk warnings on financial promotions.
Generally no; providers restrict it to UK and Ireland residents because the tax and regulatory framework does not apply elsewhere.