By Markus Silvester - October 23, 8: Binary Options trading industry is quite appealing for traders. The trades are fast and easy to understand, there is a possibility of using auto trading software and mobile apps are enabling traders to trade anytime and anywhere.

Unfortunately, we at the Fair Binary Options must warn readers that not all brokers are fair, and that there are some who are prone to scam behaviour. This makes it hard even for experienced traders in binary options to differentiate good brokers from those who are prone to malpractice. Binary options trading is still not defined by law in some countries, but there are some regulating bodies that can help traders make right decisions when it comes to finding the right broker.

Despite the regulation of some brokers and protection such regulation gives, there are still some traders who prefer to trade with unregulated brokers. Regulated brokers do not accept US customers, and traders from the USA have to opt for the unregulated brokers, even if it means that they will engage in higher risk unless they inform themselves before depositing. Only tested brokers on FBO list! On the other hand, traders from all around the world can find a reputable broker that is regulated without much trouble.

Even though, regulation is not a guarantee that a broker is not a scam , it is obviously much harder to be deceived if a broker has some rules and laws to obey. FBO has dedicated their work to uncovering bad brokers and helping traders, so sometimes we blacklist scam brokers even before the regulatory bodies revoke their authorization.

However, regulators serve a purpose and make our work easier. Here you will find most renowned binary options regulatory bodies. Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission CySEC is probably the best known regulatory body in the world of binary options as it also part of the European MiFID Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.

According to Cyprus Securities and Exchange Law , Commission is obligated to supervise, observe, control and act as a competent authority, which means that all brokers who want to be registered must pass their inspection. CySEC treats brokers as financial companies and has some specific rules when it comes to bonuses. New legislation disables that type of business practice and provides better trading experience for the traders.

After a period where this regulating body was more of an uninvolved observer, it became cautious watchdog that really works on improving transparency and prevents scams. In recent past, CySEC prosecuted and fined even some well-established brokers who were not following their guidelines. They put more effort in controlling all necessary documents brokers have to provide in order to continue doing business in a legal way keeping record of complaints etc , and even pay more attention to false advertising.

Binary Options Brokers in the USA

More active approach is proved to be better than a passive one, as binary trading is safer thanks to the new rules implemented by CySEC. As we already mentioned, regulation is not a guarantee for fair practice. There have been many cases of misconduct, spam and other fraudulent activities that CySEC had to react to.

One of the most famous cases like this was the case of WGM Services Ltd, that was behind the broker known as EZTrader. Even before the broker was stripped of their license, Fair Binary Options blacklisted them and helped some other traders retrieve their money even before CySec revoked their authorization which is a just sign of our integrity and devotion to making binary options trading safer and more pleasant. Read more about EZtrader Blacklisting Case. CySec often issues warnings on unregulated brokers in order to protect customers from the scam.

Even though this broker was not regulated by CySEC they still felt obligated inform the public about the scam. We reported about this case soon after we suspected that LBinary was a scam. More information about this interesting case can be found here. All complaints about registered brokers here can be submitted here , simply by filling an online form with all available documentation attached.

The USA is a large market so it is not surprising that binary options brokers were trying to offer their services for a long time, but US government decided to enforce various laws and directions in order to protect their citizens. Sometimes, their protection is so strong that it disables potential traders and lowers the liquidity. Commodity Futures Trading Commission CFTC is regulating body for the territory of United States that takes care of transparent, competitive and open markets, meanwhile protecting funds, consumers and public from frauds.

It also regulates binary options, following the instructions by Commodity Exchange Act. What is interesting is that it is not illegal for US residents to place their trades with offshore brokers, but it is illegal for those brokers to do business with US residents, or better, to offer their services in the US market. It is complicated, even if it seems simple. Read more about US binary brokers. Nadex, or North American Derivatives Exchange, is derivatives exchange for the retail traders and is completely regulated by CFTC.

Nadex can be easily explained if traders imagine it like a bridge between them and those who offer binary options. Now, as in most cases, there is a toll to pay if one wants to cross the bridge, so Nadex applies various fees to all transactions — from trades to banking.

Something like that is unheard of in most binary options trading markets. Read more about it in our Nadex review. CFTC sees binary options as predictions markets and is known for pressing charges against most acknowledged brokers just because they offer their services to US traders. If US traders have any problems during their transactions, they can contact their platform provider. Nadex customer service can be reached via email, just like Cantor Exchange.

CME customers can use telephone or email for reporting irregularities. All suspicious activities can be reported to CFTC , as well. Binary options are very popular in South Africa, as South Africans also want to take advantage of this lucrative way of trading.

One of the most interesting things is that companies with headquarters in South Africa are not allowed to provide binary trading service to users in South Africa. Binary options in South Africa are regulated by the FSB or Financial Services Board , special regulatory agency that controls all elements and participants in financial markets.

The main role of the Financial Services Board is to maintain safe and reliable investing environment in whole South Africa. At the moment of writing of this article, there was only one binary options broker regulated in South Africa. AnyOption broker has FSB license and is offering regulated binary options trading in a controlled environment for all binary options traders in South Africa.

FSB also provides support for traders who have been scammed by bad binary brokers. They can use one of the numerous contacts available for FSB customer support and even reach for their Consumer Education department that will provide traders with more detailed information about the topic they are interested in. Find out more about binary options in South Africa. In the past, there were two regulatory bodies that monitored binary options trading in this country: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada IIROC that is enforcing the proficiency, business and financial conduct of dealer firms and Canada Securities Administrators agency CSA which is an umbrella organization for harmonizing and improvement of the Canadian market.

It is important to make clear that binary options are not illegal but are defined as exotic options. Yet, it still seems that Canada is not popular among brokers. The reason for that is probably that it consists of ten provinces and three territories and each of them has their own legislation which makes it harder for brokers to offer their services on the entire Canadian market. For that reason, Canadians mostly trade with regulated offshore brokers or unregulated brokers with a good reputation, even though Canadian authorities usually warn about unregulated brokers, but only because they are not regulated by them.

We can hope that in near future Canada will make some improvements when it comes to regulation. All Canadian citizens can complain about regulated brokers in Canada in case there are any to IIROC and CSA , and they should contact the offices depending on their residence province. The British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory mostly known for as offshore financial center.

BVI is quite popular among financial companies as their banking laws are quite loose. Binary options are, just as is Forex, regulated by Financial Services Commission FSC.

FSC is more popular among forex brokers than binary options brokers, even though there are some brokers who have addresses in BVI but are regulated by other regulatory bodies, like ImperialOptions regulated by CySEC. In order to contact FSC about any irregularities or scam brokers, traders can do so via the simple online form.

In Australia, binary options are considered financial product and according to the Commission, any entity that deals in, or provides advice about binary options to Australian investors must be licensed by Australian Finance Services AFS , which is a part of ASIC. Even though Australian customers may trade with European brokers those regulated by CySEC , it is always better to use Australian broker if one is an Australian resident.

Strict laws that are enforced on brokers registered in Australia are insurance for traders who want to invest safe and easy way. ASIC can retrieve their permission for binary options trading if they notice that a broker is a scam. Just like CySEC, ASIC also releases announcements about scam brokers and unregistered brokers who are not recommended for trading in order to protect general public as in the case of Opteck. Opteck is registered broker with CySec, but not ASIC.

Find more information about various scam types and how to report them here. When it comes to binary options trading, France is an interesting market. There are two regulating bodies: Binary options in this country are defined as financial services.

Despite two regulating bodies, binary options trading is not completely regulated, but it is not illegal either. Brokers can register in France but, any brokers registered with other regulatory bodies inside EU are considered registered brokers in France as well. That is why it is always recommended that French traders trade only with registered European brokers.

But that is not the real reason we could say AMF is hostile: Other than that, French authorities established Jury of Advertising Ethics of the Authority of Professional Publicity Regulation ARPP that is an interprofessional body created in order to provide an ethical and professional environment in advertising, thanks to which broker can no longer use false advertising.

The most popular broker registered in France is Banc de Binary. In order to report scams and unethical business practices, simply fill the form available on the AMF website. Our analysis of one of AMF studies can be found in the article about binary options scams. France recently banned advertising of binary trading services. CONSOB is a regulatory body in Italy that reassures transparency and appropriate behavior by financial market participants, disclosures and of complete and accurate information to the investing public by listed companies, and that considers binary option betting.

As they explained, binary options have a structure similar to betting, since they assure payment of the pre-set amount before the event occurs. For example, in the European Union is quite common that every broker that has a license within the European Union is allowed to do business in any country within EU, but not in Italy. All licenses issued by other regulatory bodies, like CySEC or AMF, must be reviewed and approved by CONSOB in order to do business in Italy.

As it was stated in Communication No. Since the Italian authorities view binary options as gambling industry and have very strict policies when it comes to this industry, CONSOB even blocked websites belonging to brokers who were accepting Italian customers like EZTrader, BOcapital, StartOptions, AnyOption etc.

As FBO reported, EZTrader turned out to be a scam and, in this case, Italian government did well by prosecuting them. Unfortunately, Italy tends to block even the fair and honest brokers which is not good for their business, but also removes the block as soon as the broker gets the license.

The first broker that got the license was Banc de Binary, and then 24option , GrandOption , StockPair , 10Trade followed their example. This regulatory CONSOB accepts reports only by filling the form available on their website.

New Zealand is one of the few countries that regulates the binary options trading industry. Financial Markets Authority is a financial services regulator in New Zealand.

Many platform providers are based in New Zealand, and their Financial Markets Authority is conducting Financial Markets Conduct Act. All brokers first must register at Financial Service Provider Register in order to do business in New Zealand.

They also have to be members of an external Dispute Resolution Scheme, which gives traders additional protection. BinaryTilt is a broker licensed in New Zealand. New Zealand customers cannot trade with FMA regulated brokers. One of the cases like that was that of broker under the name of OptionsRider. FMA stated that the broker claimed to be registered with a nonexistent regulatory body in New Zealand. Such behavior is considered deceiving and is punishable by law.

After short research we found out that there is a big chance this broker is a scam since users described their customer service as almost not existing, there are no owners mentioned on the website and the list of dishonest practice goes on and on.

This only proves how important it is to check all the details provided by the broker before making a deposit. Make sure to upload all evidence available as it makes your complaint look more serious. Binary options industry in the United Kingdom has been experiencing some changes recently. Since , it has been considered betting and was a category under Gambling Act. There were a public hearing and a thorough research under the supervision of a judge in order to decide whether binary options should stay in the domain of gambling, or be transferred into the sector of financial markets.

At the moment, brokers still get their licenses issued by Financial Conduct Authority, but the final decision can be expected in early Since the European Union is treated as one market, brokers regulated with other European regulatory bodies can offer their services in the UK as well, but keep in mind that it might change in if UK government decides to follow the example set by Italy. It is expected that in the future FCA will be the one providing licenses for the brokers, and Financial Policy Committee will supervise if all the brokers follow the necessary legislation.

FCA issued licenses for several brokers:.

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It is important to emphasize that at the moment, FCA is not the official regulatory body, as the entire industry in the UK is in a transitional period.

For that reason, traders cannot expect protection as in other cases with regulated brokers. FCA currently has no authority over prosecuting or penalizing foul brokers. As already mentioned, this problem will probably be solved in Here you will find detailed steps what to do in case of a scam , the first step being stop sending money.

This regulatory body even gives useful advice on how to avoid being scammed, and what to do once the scam is reported. One of the most popular countries among binary options brokers is Belize. There are two exceptions to this rule: In case of any difficulties, traders can always contact IFSC using the online form that can be found here. All regulated broker can be found on their web page, on the List F. As many other regulatory bodies, IFSC also releases information on brokers who lost their license, so be sure to follow their web page in case you trade with broker registered there.

Recently, Vanuatu Financial Services Commission has become increasingly popular among binary options brokers. Vanuatu is a small island state formerly known as New Hebrides Islands that provides numerous benefits for financial business, but low tax rates as well. When registering with VFSC, the company is not obligated to have physical offices in the state or local staff.

There is a contact form available on the website, but it is important to mention that this regulatory body seems more business-oriented than dedicated to protecting the traders.

Traders can contact this regulatory body via online form that can be found here. Binary options brokers are regulated by Financial Futures Association of Japan FFAJ. This type od financial trading has been under the regulations since , when FFAJ created an extensive set of rules that apply to all regulated brokers.

As always, not all brokers that provide their services in Japan are regulated, but there are very few markets in the world that managed to prevent unregulated brokers from operating.

Binary trading in Japan is somewhat different than in the rest of the world. The lowest expiration time is 2 hours, which means that there are no fast options to be traded with regulated brokers. Fast options are usually riskier, but also more profitable for the trader.

Transparency in determining the final price is imperative, so Japanese agency created a set of rules that apply to this part of binary trading. Also, Japan is not very keen to bonuses. All advertising material must be carefully managed in order not to deceive traders that binary options are risk-free, so all types of gifts etc.

The brokers are obligated to present prices based on payout amount. FFAJ can be reached via contacts listed on the Japanese version of the website. Financial trading in Spain is regulated by National Securities Market Commission CNMV. It has been established in , as part of a great reform of Spanish financial sector in order for Spanish market to be compatible with EU legislative.

As in many other European countries, binary options are not regulated by any law, and CNMV is not providing any permissions for binary brokers. But, as Spain is part of EU it can be considered that it is simply because of MiFID and CySEC that regulate them on much higher level.

All brokers licensed by CySEC can legally operate in Spanish market, but CNMV still publishes warnings about scams on a regular basis. We can expect to experience this situation more and more often, as Eurozone is usually considered to be a single market. It still remains unclear whether CNMV has any legal power when it comes to prosecuting binary brokers, as binary options are not regulated by any laws on the territory of Spain.

In the case of any problems, traders can report the scam broker to the CNMV by using the online form available on the website. Keep in mind that the form is for Spanish citizens only, as the ID number is required in order to file a complaint. According to reports sent by ISA in MArch, , all types of binary options trading are banned in Israel in a way that brokers cannot offer this service or use advertising towards Israeli customers.

However, the question of doing business between Israeli citizens and offshore brokers remains unanswered, as due to strict regulations almost no broker wanted to be licensed by ISA anyway. Also, the status of companies who operate in Israel, but offer their services outside the state of Israel and are regulated in other countries remains unsolved. In their publication, ISA mentioned how binary options should be defined as gambling and not as an investment which can make traders wonder how come there are so many successful strategies available in order to research the market and make a proper decision.

Binary options were the logical choice. Binary trading in Israel is regulated by Israel Securities Authority ISA , the government body that was established in The role of ISA is to prevent frauds, insider trading, and other suspicious and possibly illegal activities that can harm Israeli investors.

It is important to note that ISA is not very favorable towards binary trading, as many believe that binary trading caused the collapse of Tel Aviv Stock Exchange after capital tax raise. Whatever their opinion is, the fact is that binary options brokers are regulated in Israel which makes trading completely legal.

The new law was implemented in March , which means that all brokers who want to provide their services legally in Israel must obtain a license. ISA goes much further than many other regulatory bodies, as brokers have to update the status of their clients regularly, provide monthly, quarterly and yearly reports and follow a complicated set of rules in order to maintain the licensed status.

Binary options trading is very popular in Malta where it is regulated by Malta Financial Services Authority MFSA. When it comes to Malta, binary trading is completely legal and regulated, and all companies who wish to provide such services can apply for a license.

Brokers also have to have offices in Malta and two senior managers, with investment opportunities offered only from Malta. MFSA also has an online form for traders who feel they have been scammed by their binary broker. MFSA is asking of traders to add as many details as possible in order to provide the best assistance possible. Binary options trading is very popular in Russia, and there are many brokers present on the Russian market.

It is important to notice how Russian Central bank CBR is in charge for supervision of all financial products present in this country. There is also a regulatory body called CRFIN, Centre for Regulation in OTC Financial Instruments and Technologies.

Russian licenses are provided for specific types of trading, and there is no possibility for a broker to offer forex and binary trading with a single license, but must have both. In order to get a license, binary brokers have to deposit 2 million Russian Rubles and have a minimum capital requirement of million Rubles 1. All officers, directors and other significant employees are obligated to have a proof of relevant experience in the field and clear criminal record.

The broker also has to show a business plan but is not obligated to have shareholders physically present in Russia. Traders who find themselves to be in contact with a fault broker can contact CRFIN easily by filling the online form available on the website.

There they can attach all necessary files and explain their situation. This website is independent of binary brokers featured on it. Before trading with any of the brokers, potential clients should ensure they understand the risks and verify that the broker is licensed. The website does not provide investment services or personal recommendations to clients to trade binary options. The potential client should not engage in any investment directly or indirectly in financial instruments unless s he knows and fully understands the risks involved for each of the financial instruments promoted in the website.

Potential clients without sufficient knowledge should seek individual advice from an authorized source. In accordance with FTC guidelines, FairBinaryOptions. Binary options trading entails significant risks and there is a chance that potential clients lose all of their invested money. Your capital might be at risk. Investment Rating Your capital might be at risk.

Unfortunately, we at the Fair Binary Options must warn readers that not all brokers are fair, and that Even though, regulation is not a guarantee that a broker is not a scam, it is obviously much harder to be deceived if a broker has some rules and laws to obey. According to Cyprus Securities and Exchange Law, Commission is obligated to supervise, observe, control and act as a competent authority, which means that all brokers who want to be registered must pass their inspection.

The list of CySEC improvements doesn't end there. Some of the brokers who are regulated by CySEC are 24option, iq option, Banc De Binary, StockPair As we already mentioned, regulation is not a guarantee for fair practice. All complaints about registered brokers here can be submitted here, simply by filling an online form with all available documentation attached.

Binary Options Regulation US The USA is a large market so it is not surprising that binary options brokers were trying to offer their services for a long time, but US government decided to enforce various laws and directions in order to protect their citizens. CFTC Binary Options Regulation Commodity Futures Trading Commission CFTC is regulating body for the territory of United States that takes care of transparent, competitive and open markets, meanwhile protecting funds, consumers and public from frauds.

All suspicious activities can be reported to CFTC, as well. Binary Options Regulation South Africa Binary options are very popular in South Africa, as South Africans also want to take advantage of this lucrative way of trading. One of the most interesting things is that companies with headquarters in South Africa are not allowed to provide binary trading service to users in South Africa Binary options in South Africa are regulated by the FSB or Financial Services Board, special regulatory agency that controls all elements and participants in financial markets.

All Canadian citizens can complain about regulated brokers in Canada in case there are any to IIROC and CSA, and they should contact the offices depending on their residence province.

Regulated Binary Option Brokers · BinaryEX

Binary Options Regulation British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands is a British overseas territory mostly known for as offshore financial center.

Binary Options Regulation France When it comes to binary options trading, France is an interesting market. Don't forget to add all available documents, correspondence and print screens. The first broker that got the license was Banc de Binary, and then 24option, GrandOption, StockPair, 10Trade followed their example.

FCA issued licenses for several brokers: TopOption, ETX Capital It is important to emphasize that at the moment, FCA is not the official regulatory body, as the entire industry in the UK is in a transitional period. Even if FCA is not the official regulatory body, traders can still report bad brokers, but keep in mind that FCA can only revoke their license, but can't fine them at the moment.

Here you will find detailed steps what to do in case of a scam, the first step being stop sending money. Binary Options Regulation in Belize One of the most popular countries among binary options brokers is Belize. In order for a broker to receive Belize license, they must be registered as a company in Belize, even though they don't have to have physical offices in that country.

Interesting thing is that regulated brokers aren't allowed to offer their services to Belize residents. Some of the brokers registered in Belize are: Optdeck Banc De Binary In case of any difficulties, traders can always contact IFSC using the online form that can be found here.

Keep in mind that name of the broker and company behind it aren't always the same. Binary Options Regulation in Vanuatu Recently, Vanuatu Financial Services Commission has become increasingly popular among binary options brokers. VFSC provides fast registration accompanied by low expenses so it's not surprising that more and more brokers are choosing this regulating body. Unlike CySEC and some other popular regulating bodies VFSC doesn't provide any information about traders support.

Binary Options Regulation in Japan Binary options brokers are regulated by Financial Futures Association of Japan FFAJ. Binary Options Regulation in Spain Financial trading in Spain is regulated by National Securities Market Commission CNMV.

More on binary options in Israel read here. Binary Options Regulation in Malta Binary options trading is very popular in Malta where it is regulated by Malta Financial Services Authority MFSA. There are three important categories when it comes to binary trading in Malta: Binary Options Regulation in Russia Binary options trading is very popular in Russia, and there are many brokers present on the Russian market.

One of the brokers that has CRFIN approval is 24option. News archive June May April March January December November October September August July June May April March February January December November October September August July June May April March February January December November October September August July June May April March February January December November October September August July June May April March February January December November October September August Binary Options News Jun Top 10 brokers Broker Min.

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