Talk the talk

Michael Murray, director of publicly-quoted spread betting company IG Index, talks to By David Clerkin.

Please tell us briefly what spread betting is and how it differs from conventional betting.

Spread betting is an easy and flexible way of backing your judgment on financial markets. The degree to which you are right or wrong in your judgment determines how much you make or lose. The more you are correct, the more money you make, and vice versa. Spread betting is quite different to conventional betting in that we don’t quote odds, and your potential losses aren’t limited to your stake. Spread betting probably has more in common with futures or shares trading.