"Worldspreads Group says its UK subsidiary Worldspreads Limited has signed an exclusive deal with Ladbrokes to provide its financial spread betting service to Ladbrokes' global customers.

Under the terms of the new partnership, Worldspreads will provide an online trading service, which will offer financial spread bets on market instruments such as stock exchanges, individual shares, currencies, commodities and interest rates."

IG Group recently reported first quarter results. Revenues rose to £53m, up 29%, ahead of budget, and the number of new accounts was up 45% on the year. Capitalisation is around £1.1bn.

There has been some press speculation that with most of the instruments that spread bettors bet on in bear markets this will mean some spread bettors will bet less often. An interesting psychological point, and historically many traders, not just spread bettors have had a long bias. But why should spread bettors have a long bias? It is just as easy to go short as it is to go long with spread betting, and most instruments fall more quickly than they rise.

IG Group Holdings recently reported its results, and as always there were points of interest for spread bettors both in these, and the related articles in the press.

Revenues up 51 per cent and profits up 41%, we learn. That is not all from UK spread betting customers though, because 3 new international offices were opened in the year.

We also learn, though, that bad debts are on the increase, as more customers blow out.

Apparently there has been increased interest in indices and other instruments, rather than just individual stocks.