Event Contracts at Interactive Brokers
Main Discoveries:
• Interactive Brokers now offers trading in event contracts.
• Event contracts at IBKR carry very low commissions.
• There are no sports contracts at Interactive Brokers.
Among its many asset classes, IBKR now offers event contracts. Here’s the rundown:
Overview of Event Contracts at Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers customers can trade forecast contracts and event contracts; these products are offered through ForecastEx and CME. These markets are built around questions tied to topics like elections, economic data, climate indicators, and key futures markets. IBKR does not offer event contracts for sports.
Traders buy outcome contracts tied to questions — these are the event contracts. Each question has “yes” and “no” outcomes. These can be traded up to expiration or held until the end, when each contract settles at either $0.00 or $1.00 depending on the result.
Eligibility for Event Contracts at Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers provides access to forecast contracts through five branches:
- Interactive Brokers LLC
- Interactive Brokers Canada Inc.
- Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited
- Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited
- Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Accounts opened under other IBKR entities do not have access to ForecastTrader, which is the platform for trading these contracts.
Signing Up for Event Contracts at IBKR
A standard brokerage account at IBKR does not automatically include event contracts. You must enable this permission manually. To do this, log into the Client Portal and click on the head-and-shoulders icon in the top-right corner. From the drop-down menu, select Settings.
On the Settings page, scroll to the Trading section and click on Trading Permissions. A list of asset classes will appear. Click the tile labeled Forecast and Event Contracts and follow the instructions on-screen to activate trading. In our test, approval was granted immediately.
Researching Event Contracts at Interactive Brokers
Once event-contract trading is active, you can browse contracts through ForecastTrader, which is located within the IBKR website. To open it, click on the Trade tab in the top navigation menu, then select ForecastTrader from the drop-down list. The tool will open in a new browser tab.
On ForecastTrader, you’ll see links to categories that make finding contracts easy. Examples include:
- Will a U.S. election outcome go a certain way?
- Will the Consumer Price Index exceed a specific level on a release date?
- Will a futures market finish above or below a set level by expiration?
Interactive Brokers Promo
Placing a Trade
To place a trade, click on any contract within ForecastTrader to open its details. On the contract’s page, a left-hand column lists related contracts or alternative versions. For example, a time-based question may include multiple expiration dates, while a market topic may show several nearby thresholds. The left column also displays open interest (OI), which shows how many contracts are currently open.
Each contract page includes a price chart with Yes and No toggles to switch between outcomes. The current prices for both are shown at the top. Click on your chosen outcome and follow the steps on-screen to complete your trade.
Fees and Minimums
Interactive Brokers does not offer these contracts commission-free. CME event contracts are priced at $0.01 per contract, and additional exchange, regulatory, and overnight-position fees can apply. The minimum order size is one contract.
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Updated on 3/28/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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