A dated, neutral read on ForecastEx from Florida, where state regulators have challenged sports event contracts. ForecastEx lists no sports, only economic, climate and political forecast contracts under a federal CFTC designation, and is generally open to eligible residents. Information, not advice. As of February 2026.
Last reviewed 20 February 2026 · Status as of February 2026 · Information, not legal advice
ForecastEx LLC is a designated contract market and derivatives clearing organization, designated and registered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in June 2024, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group. It lists Forecast Contracts on economic indicators such as the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and gross domestic product, on climate indicators such as global and United States temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and on political outcomes. Because that registration is federal, the venue is available to eligible United States residents in all 50 states, including Florida, for those categories. Florida regulators have taken a hard line on sports event contracts offered by other venues, but that objection is specific to sports, and ForecastEx lists none. Most retail access runs through an Interactive Brokers account rather than a separate ForecastEx deposit page. A contract price is an implied probability, not a prediction, and the contracts carry a real risk of loss.
As of February 2026, ForecastEx is generally available to eligible Florida residents aged 18 or older. It is a CFTC designated contract market and clearing organization, owned by Interactive Brokers, listing economic, climate and political forecast contracts only, not sports. Because it offers no sports markets, the Florida objections aimed at sports event contracts do not reach it. Access is generally through an Interactive Brokers account. Confirm the current position before you act.
Florida has been one of the more assertive states on sports prediction markets, with regulators challenging sports event contracts offered by other venues. That context matters, but it does not land on ForecastEx, because ForecastEx lists no sports contracts. Its market set is economic indicators such as the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and gross domestic product, climate indicators such as global and United States temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and political outcomes. The state sports objection simply has nothing to attach to here.
What governs ForecastEx is its federal status. It is a designated contract market and a derivatives clearing organization, designated and registered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in June 2024, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group. That federal registration is what makes it available to eligible residents in all 50 states, Florida included, for the categories it lists. In practice the access route is the point to understand: there is no separate retail deposit funnel at the ForecastEx site, and most retail traders reach Forecast Contracts through an Interactive Brokers account, so opening an account with Interactive Brokers is effectively the prerequisite for a Florida resident.
Available does not mean simple or low risk. Forecast Contracts settle on real economic and climate data, and you can lose money on them. A price is an implied probability of an outcome, not our prediction of it, and we do not tip results. Eligibility, the specific contracts listed, and the funding steps can change, so confirm the current position on ForecastEx and Interactive Brokers, and read our Florida legality guide for the wider state framework, before you act.
These are federally listed United States venues you can compare ForecastEx against. The list appears after the information and shows no paid placements. ForecastEx lists economic, climate and political forecast contracts, not sports. Scores are illustrative editorial examples. Confirm the current position and your eligibility before acting.
A clear regulator does not make any contract safe to over trade. Prediction markets and event contracts can lose you money. Trade only what you can afford to lose, never to chase a loss, and never with borrowed money. If it stops feeling like a choice, step back. In the United States you can call or text 1-800-GAMBLER or visit ncpgambling.org. You must be 18+ or the legal age in your region.
As of February 2026, yes, generally. ForecastEx is a CFTC designated contract market and clearing organization, available to eligible Florida residents in all 50 states for economic, climate and political forecast contracts. Access is generally through an Interactive Brokers account. This is general information, not legal advice.
No. Florida challenges to prediction markets have focused on sports event contracts offered by other venues. ForecastEx lists no sports, only economic, climate and political forecast contracts under a federal CFTC designation, so the state sports objection does not reach it. Confirm the current position before relying on it.
Most retail access runs through an Interactive Brokers account, since ForecastEx is a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group and has no separate retail deposit funnel. A Florida resident would generally open or use an Interactive Brokers account and trade Forecast Contracts from there. Confirm the current steps before you act.
Forecast Contracts on economic indicators such as the unemployment rate, the consumer price index and gross domestic product, on climate indicators such as global and United States temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and on political outcomes. There are no sports markets. Each contract carries a real risk of loss.
No. ForecastEx is a federally regulated exchange for forecast contracts on economic, climate and political outcomes, not a sportsbook, and it lists no sports. That is part of why the Florida sports objections do not reach it. Whatever the label, the contracts can lose you money, so trade with care.
The position above rests on the federal designation of ForecastEx, its own contract rules, and the Interactive Brokers access route. Confirm it yourself before you act, because the rules in this area change.
Status as of February 2026. General information, not legal advice.