Is Forex Trading Gambling

Hi, I’m a newbie and if you place anything of value on anything where the outcome can not be guaranteed, it’s a gamble. Imho. Cheers Bantam

Thats a good point, but that would make just about anything we do in life a gamble.

Yes, the outcome is uncertain and risk of loss is attached, but it is not gambling.

Yes, everything in life has an uncertain outcome but if its possible to invest some skills / knowledge / abilities to affect the outcome, its speculation, not gambling.

The person who takes Forex Trading as a Gamble loses all, you need to understand that if you wanna become successful, you need to learn about the proper market analysis and lots of other things and if you just take it as a Gamble, then sooner or later like any Gamble, you will lose everything.

Leverage and lot calculations are complicated beasts for the newbie!!! If you don’t understand them, then Forex very much is gambling

For pity’s sake, forex is not gambling. The lottery or roulette is gambling.

Forex is either good trading or bad trading but it is speculation not gambling since there is a physical correlation between the player’s skills and the outcome. It might be that some traders are so unskilled their gains look random so this feels like gambling. But it is not.

Most of us would say that trading is long-term less risky than gambling. So if as a trader you don’t understand the difference you have the same likelihood of success as a player of the lottery. Trading is a business, not a game. Gambling is a game.

If you think trading is gambling you probably think of buying property as an investment. In fact its speculation since the probability of successful return is not certain but your skills can affect the outcome. If you don’t understand the risks you take, your risks will take you.

Maybe some contributors have English as a second or other language, if so, I mean them no offence. But as a reflection of the trader’s psychology and attitudes this is fundamentally important.

This is why I’ve refused to participate into this argument, before I get banned or at the very least an infraction :wink:

I agree with everything you have said, for the record.

Edit: It’s also something which I have come to realise more and more; members here who have English as their second language are unfortunately diminishing the quality of an important and valuable post. It is no fault of their own, but it really doesn’t help, especially when the difference between what is realistic and what is absolute garbage [B][U]CAN[/U][/B] consist of a very fine line.

Yes it is. This means its not guesswork and its not good luck when you make a profit month after month, nor bad luck when you get stopped out of the same x% of your trades month after month.

Its equally not always that you were wrong when putting a trade on. If the TA and FA fits your entry criteria, the only error would be to not put that trade on.

Forex and gambling have nothing in common. Well, if you don’t take the Martingale trading strategy into account. Gambling and casinos are all based on luck and guessing, but forex is a whole science.

Speculation, gambling! A rose by any other name?

In my opinion forex trading is not gambling, but included on high risk business, but how to become profitable trader also need skill and knowledge, which forex trading is not gambling but as speculative investment which skill analysis and risk management is required

It can be a Yes and a No.
Yes in case if the person have absolutely no idea of what he is doing and because lot of money is involved and came to make even more thinking this is some quick rich scheme.
No in case if the person is highly knowledged in trading skills and uses all fundamental and technical analysis to study the market and do it appropriately.

I don’t think it should be ever treated as gambling. Trading is not a matter of luck or chance, it requires long years of study, practice and then serious and in-depth analysis in order to be profitable.

I agree with what many others have said: Forex/trading in general is only gambling if you approach it that way. If you think and act like a statistician, you’re not gambling - you’re mitigating inevitable risks and uncertainties to still come out with a profit in the end.

I’m going to take this opportunity to say that the phrase “playing the stock market,” or “playing forex” is very bothersome. It’s not a game, it’s not gambling, and it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, it’s a business that requires skill, study, discipline and patience to master. If someone says they “play” the stock market, that’s an indication to me that they are a gambler, not a statistician.

As others have said, it strictly depends on the trader’s approach. For me personally Forex is not gambling, it’s a high level business which is not for everyone as it requires a lot of knowledge, skills and time. Extremely dynamic type of business which is influenced by the economical, political and the overall world environment so it’s necessary to make and use different analysis all the time. Based on this, I do not see how it can be treated as gambling but some traders prefer to rely just on luck…which is basically gambling.

Do traders who approach trading as gambling actually make a profit consistently? Is that even possible?

I suppose there is a difference between trading with a gambling mentality, and trading a statistical edge correctly whilst knowing that this is classed as gambling activity.

From what I’ve seen and listened too, professional traders have no problem with the industry being classed as a day to day gamble. Lets not forget that there is also a fine line between ‘smart’ and ‘reckless’ gambling.

If a person is taking it like a gamble then it is gambling for him. He might get huge profit in one day but other days can be devastating for him. On the other hand, a trader will manage risks and will be there to trade next day as well.

You’re right. Personally, I don’t understand the gambler’s mentality. I guess they find it thrilling? To me it’s just a waste of time and money.