Interactive Brokers lets clients bet on outcomes of U.S. political races
IBKR opens up political event trading
Interactive Brokers (IBKR), the largest brokerage firm in the United States, has introduced a unique opportunity for its American clients — trading Forecast Contracts on over 100 primary election races across 22 states.
This new feature, available through the IBKR ForecastTrader platform, allows users to make simple yes-or-no predictions on a wide range of upcoming events.
Forecasts beyond elections
Forecast Contracts are not limited to political contests. All eligible IBKR clients — regardless of their country of residence — can also speculate on government decisions, economic indicators, financial developments, and even climate trends. Whether you expect an interest rate hike, a spike in inflation, or political shifts, these contracts offer a cost-efficient way to express your expectations.
Trading terms and incentives
Interactive Brokers clients earn USD 1 for each correct forecast and nothing for incorrect ones. Contract prices fluctuate based on market sentiment, and traders can simply purchase a “Yes” contract if they believe the event will occur or a “No” contract if they believe it won’t. Trading is available almost 24/6, operating from 3:00 a.m. ET on Sunday to 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, with a brief daily maintenance break at 5:00 p.m. ET.
To encourage participation, IBKR offers an interest-like incentive coupon with an annual yield of 3.83% on the daily value of active contracts. New users also receive a USD 3.00 bonus when they begin trading Forecast Contracts.
Expansion strategy and access to ForecastTrader
The contracts are available through both the desktop and mobile platforms of IBKR and are integrated into the ForecastTrader web interface, which requires no additional login. To start trading these contracts, clients must activate the feature in their IBKR account portal.
This launch is part of Interactive Brokers’ broader expansion strategy. Recently, the firm extended its lineup of no-transaction-fee (NTF) ETFs by adding the Ping An of China CSI HK Dividend ETF, providing investors with streamlined access to dividend-paying stocks listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This move enhances portfolio diversification opportunities in one of Asia’s key markets.
With the introduction of Forecast Contracts, Interactive Brokers continues to drive innovation in the retail trading space, offering tools that help clients hedge risks, speculate on global developments, and potentially profit from informed predictions.
