[OJFord]

That's a US thing. In the UK there's a KYC type form you fill out, self-certifying that you know what you're doing. And then you can trade CFDs, which are illegal in the US accredited or not. (Or not approved by regulators I suppose I mean, I assume professional US desks trade them OTC 'in' Europe. But I think probably European brokers even can't market them to or allow trades by US retail customers?)

[graemep]

The US has options and futures markets

[OJFord]

Yes, contracts for difference are neither.

[graemep]

They are very similar. They were different when options and futures are settled by delivery of the underlying. Without, that not so much.