IG Group applies for UK gambling licence
IG Group has filed an application for a UK gambling licence to launch prediction markets covering sports, politics and entertainment, with a target start-up date in early 2027. This move marks the broker’s first foray into regulated gambling-type products.
The licence request was submitted through IG View Limited, IG Group‘s London subsidiary. IG View Limited appears on the Gambling Commission’s register under the trading name “ig prediction markets”. As of now, the application remains under review and no authorisation has been granted.
IG Group also intends to roll out “financial event contracts” for professional UK clients in the fourth quarter of 2026. These contracts would sit alongside the broader prediction-market offering and target traders seeking exposure to non-price-based outcomes.
IG Group Acquires Underdog for US Expansion
The licence pursuit follows IG Group‘s announced acquisition of US fantasy-sports operator Underdog. The deal, valued at up to $1.3 billion, is slated to close in late 2026 or early 2027 and will give IG Group a foothold in the American prediction-market space.
By adding prediction markets, IG Group aims to diversify beyond its core leveraged-trading products. IG Group has long marketed contracts for difference, forex and commodities; the new licence would broaden its product suite into the gambling-regulated arena.
UK regulators treat binary-outcome contracts as gambling rather than financial instruments. Obtaining a gambling licence therefore requires compliance with the Gambling Commission’s licensing conditions, including safeguards around player protection and anti-money-laundering controls.
While the application is pending, IG Group has indicated it will not launch the service until the commission issues formal approval. IG Group expects to align its platform architecture with the commission’s technical standards before going live.
In the broader context, the shift reflects a trend among fintech firms to explore hybrid product categories that sit at the intersection of finance and regulated gaming. As traditional CFD volumes face pressure, prediction markets offer an alternative revenue stream that can attract a different user segment.
IG Group’s financial event contracts, slated for Q4 2026, will initially be offered only to professional clients who meet the commission’s eligibility criteria.
Regulators have emphasized that any launch will be subject to ongoing monitoring, including limits on wager sizes and mandatory loss-prevention tools.
Plus500 Moves into Brazil Brokerage Market
Plus500 has conditionally agreed to acquire full ownership of Guru Corretora de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários Ltd, a regulated Brazilian broker-dealer.
The transaction will be funded from Plus500’s existing cash resources, which exceed $860 million.
Google Loosens Ads Rules for Speculative Products
The changes take effect in October, although Google has not specified an exact date.
Advertisers must also meet applicable local legal requirements and obtain Google certification.
Kalshi is pursuing broader broker distribution, offering an API-based service that lets platforms integrate its event contracts without building separate exchange infrastructure.
Tastytrade was the first to launch Kalshi’s contracts, and the exchange reports that participating firms collectively manage over $1 trillion in assets.
Hantec Trader rebranded as RZR Funded, changing its operating name to RZR Funded Limited while remaining part of the Hantec Group.
FinTop Consulting’s 2026 salary surveys showed substantial differences in compensation across Dubai, London and Cyprus. Dubai-based Chief Compliance Officers can earn between $310,000 and $425,000 annually, with the lower benchmark matching the upper salary benchmark for Chief Technology Officers.
London Heads of Compliance can earn up to $251,000, while regulatory specialists handling additional responsibilities command premiums of 10% to 20%. Cyprus recorded annual salary growth of 14% across its foreign exchange and fintech sectors, compared with approximately 4% across UAE financial services.
Capital.com UAE Trading Volume Hits Trillion
Capital.com reported that UAE clients generated $1.06 trillion in trading volume during the first half of 2026, representing over two-fifths of the broker’s total.
Closed trades in the UAE rose 48% to 80.9 million, yet only 18.3% of those trades included a stop-loss, the lowest proportion among seven markets.
Germany recorded the highest stop-loss usage at 34.1%, followed by the Netherlands at 32.8%. Across Capital.com, 22.4% of closed trades carried a stop-loss set at entry. The report also found that positions closed after a stop-loss trigger recorded 39% lower average losses, although it described this as a correlation rather than proof of causation.
