Spread betting is a hybrid between other types of investment and pure speculation. It draws on elements from ordinary share investing, options trading, and betting, but has developed into a form of investing completely of its own.

1. What is spread betting?
2. A brief history
3. Spreads on individual equities
4. Spreads on an index
5. Performance spreads
6. Other financial spreads
7. Practical advantages - leverage
8. Practical advantages - going short
9. Practical advantages - hedging
10. Practical advantages - volatile markets
11. Practical advantages - tax
12. Dynamics - think short term
13. Dynamics - the size of the spread
14. Dynamics - upside and downside
15. Dynamics - length of bet
16. Strategy - bet only what you can afford
17. Strategy - cutting losses
18. Strategy - stop losses and limited risk bets
19. Strategy - taking profits
20. Strategy - arbitrage
21. Opening an account
22. Placing a bet and managing your account
23. Regulation
24. Some more tips
25. Conclusion