A dated, neutral read on ForecastEx from Maryland, where regulated sports betting is already live. ForecastEx lists no sports, only economic, climate and political forecast contracts under a federal CFTC designation, and is generally open to eligible residents through an Interactive Brokers account. Information, not advice. As of April 2026.
Last reviewed 1 April 2026 · Status as of April 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 Maryland, for those categories. Maryland runs a licensed sports betting market, but that regime governs sportsbooks, not federally designated event contracts, and ForecastEx lists no sports in any case. Most retail access runs through an Interactive Brokers account.
As of April 2026, ForecastEx is generally available to eligible Maryland 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. Maryland regulates its own sportsbooks, but that framework does not govern a federally designated venue, and ForecastEx offers no sports anyway. Access is generally through an Interactive Brokers account. Confirm the current position before you act.
Maryland legalised sports betting after voters approved it in 2020, with retail wagering opening in late 2021 and mobile sportsbooks launching in 2022 under the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. That regulated market governs licensed sportsbooks, not 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, so the Maryland sports betting code does not attach to it.
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, Maryland included, for the categories it lists. The access route matters in practice: 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.
Available does not mean low risk, and a clear regulator does not make any contract safe to over trade. Event contracts can lose you money. Stake only what you can afford to lose, never to chase a loss, and never on borrowed money. If it stops feeling like a free 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 April 2026, yes, generally. ForecastEx is a CFTC designated contract market and clearing organization, available to eligible Maryland 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. Maryland licenses its own sportsbooks through the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, but that regime governs sports wagering. ForecastEx is a federally designated event contract venue that lists no sports, so the Maryland sports betting rules do not apply to 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 Maryland 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. Maryland sportsbooks are licensed separately by the state. 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 April 2026. General information, not legal advice.