"Spread Betting" illegal in the U.S.?

I want to join a trading room that is based in the UK and I understand that the guy does “spread betting” with IG markets. However, the UG USA interface does NOT allow this because the lady I spoke with today said it was illegal here in the states.

Is this really the case? What can I do instead?
What is the difference between a spread bet and “Contracts” that I have on my interface.

Also, is there anyway around this if…?

Thanks!

is that she was right. I believe that FXCM still offers the spread bet, but you must be a UK resident.

Ah, disappointing.
Thanks for the reply.

So since we use “contracts” now, the normal way… what is the difference/easier way for me to understand the contract way of trading vs. the simple spread bet?

thank you!

see here Trading Spread Betting from the USA or other EU countries

basically spread betting is illegal in the USA as are CFDs, there you have futures and options though. I’m not 100% but you might be able to go around the restriction if you register an offshore company and trade via it.