Trading is a game of risk and give, just what do you call that, overall?! Gambling! Nomatter how sure, or unsure, it's still gambling. When you have a job, they are obligated to pay you for the hours put in, even if they decide to fire you. Trading is a commodity gamble game, nothing more, nothing less. You think that's air you're breathing, now?
I am of the Trading is "not gaming" persuasion...I stopped drinking milk and playing games at a younger age... tell me?...when you roll the dice are you more sure than say... putting on a trade...or less?...
When you do not know the outcome...do you just say oh f&*% it and put on a direction and count to five?
Anyone who is not analytical enough to figure out whether "trading the markets = gambling", should find another line of work. BTW... if you are one who agrees "trading = gambling", I here there's an opening for a bagger at the Kwik-E Mart.
After saying to myself "what the Hell am I doing at a craps table?" - LOL, I would then say "I have a 1.41 negative edge in this stupid game, sober up and go home".....or something like that. Don
The idea that trading is somehow not gambling is insane. No certain outcome = gambling. Are you risking? Then you are gambling. Some would deny this - only because it makes a trading career less socially acceptable. OK, so you have a + expectancy system, you are gambling with an edge. No moral judgements here, gambling with an edge is a wise thing to do, and very acceptable (Casinos, Insurance Companies...) Surprising - traders calling it 'not gambling' considering that traders know more than anyone the thrill - that is as attractive to many as the $.
Hallelujah, we are putting probability on our side... but no bones about it, we are gambling, just wise gambling
I wish it were gambling as gambling winnings (lotteries, scratch tickets, casino winnings) are not taxable in Canada. Has anyone ever tried to convince Revenue Canada that it is gambling and therefore should be tax exempt?
I haven't read this thread because its very premise is flawed. The question to ask is not whether or not trading is gambling, but to ask whether there is anything in this life that is NOT a gamble. Do you commute to work? By car? Do you drive the same route every day? Did you choose that route on the basis of emperical evidence supporting a reasonable expectation that this particular commute will, under normal circumstances, take approximately "n" minutes? Gambler!
Majority participating in gambling activities by definition (casino, sports betting, etc) lose, so if it was not gambling, then all those people could offset loses generated from gambling against their tax bill. So considering that majority will always lose when gambling, it makes more sense not charge TAX on winnings and simply charge it to gambling house's profits. If participation in the financial markets (holding shares, futures contracts, etc) was to be considered gambling by the governments, then companies like Merrill, Lehman, Stanley would not be paying huge taxes that they pay, so there is no way governments will consider trading activities gambling, UNLESS you do not hold an investment, but bet on a potential outcome. That's what spread betting companies do. You bet on an outcome and it's tax free. Now, compare what is so different between holding shares in a company therefore paying taxes on generated profits and betting that this company's share price will increase in some time in the future (which is done in a very similar fashion to actually buying stock). So from the legal point of view gambling will remain gambling and stock market speculation will remain being classed as investment/trading, basically not gambling. But, as long as there is risk of losing initial investment is present, it is a gamble. Some will say, unlike in gambling I have a choice of whether I will or will not lose my initial investment. I can assure you that in spread betting I can also control how much of my initial investment will be lost or not lost, same as in trading. Similar to how pros work in sports betting, they would allocate a % of their Net capital to 1 bet and spread their capital. If they know what they are doing, they will come out on top. Just like in trading. I still think that the poll sucks, sorry ES.