Growing Regulatory Pressure and FXCM's Facelift - Best of the Week
Sunday,26/02/2017|10:07GMTby
Dan Magen
Playtech and FXCM, alongside the Israeli and Dutch regulators, all feature in last week's top stories.
Finance Magnates
During the passing week, the top news in the global Online Trading industry included the rebranding of FXCM, regulators in Israel and the Netherlands taking action against binary options, Forex and CFDs, Playtech revealing its annual results and the FCA hinting that it may regulate binary options within a year.
Dutch regulator prepares binary options, FX and CFDs advertising ban
On Monday, we reported that the AFM (Financial Markets Authority) is preparing to limit the advertisement of certain financial products that the country’s government deem too risky. The regulator published a communique which effectively starts a period of consultation with the industry and clients of the financial services.
High-leverage products will be limited across the board with binary options, forex and CFDs with over 1:10 leverage being forbidden. The country’s regulator is also enforcing a ban on warrants, cocos (Contingent Convertible bonds), futures and some turbocharged products with leverage higher than 1:10, which have been on the offer by commercial banks.
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FXCM on the move
Tuesday - FXCM, once the biggest retail forex broker in the US but now expelled from that market, renamed itself and introduced changes to its senior management . The forex, CFDs and spread betting provider promoted the European subsidiary’s CEO, Brendan Callan, to Interim CEO. He has been with the firm since 2001 and has successfully been managing the company’s London-based branch since 2010. The embattled former CEO, Drew Niv, will retain an advisory role for the public company, which is to be renamed ‘Global Brokerage Inc’.
Playtech’s bullish 2016
On Thursday we learned that the gaming and online trading giant Playtech has benefited from CFH acquisition. Playtech’s 2016 annual results released last week showed substantial growth. The company’s second half was boosted by the acquisition of CFH for $120 million, which concluded on the 30th of November and added a total of €1.8 million to the company’s revenues.
For the full year 2016, revenues of the financials division increased by over 9 percent to €65.6 million. The company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) totalled €15.4 million, which is lower than 2015’s €15.9 million by 3 percent. The company has attributed the underperformance in its bottom line to an overall decline in volatility.
Israel to ban marketing binary option abroad, limit FX market
On Thursday we exclusively reported on the dramatic new Israeli law that targets the marketing of binary options abroad and unregulated forex brokers operating in the country. According to the new law, the draft of which was obtained by Finance Magnates hours before its official release, the ISA intends to ban the marketing of binary options by Israeli companies abroad, almost one year after it banned the targeting of Israeli citizens last March.
In addition, foreign exchange brokers with an Israeli license will not be allowed to offer FX or onboard clients of foreign countries if they don’t hold a license in those countries. The penalties for violators of the law include jail time of up to two years.
According to new data released by the regulator, binary options made up 17 percent of the 106,800 enquiries to the FCA’s consumer contact centre between December 2015 through November 2016. The watchdog attributes the increasing popularity of binary options to the current low interest rate environment.
However, the FCA added that it has concerns that UK consumers are being increasingly targeted by fraudsters who offer opportunities to invest in binary options. Many such illegitimate binary options firms do not appear to be regulated by any agency, either in the UK or abroad.
During the passing week, the top news in the global Online Trading industry included the rebranding of FXCM, regulators in Israel and the Netherlands taking action against binary options, Forex and CFDs, Playtech revealing its annual results and the FCA hinting that it may regulate binary options within a year.
Dutch regulator prepares binary options, FX and CFDs advertising ban
On Monday, we reported that the AFM (Financial Markets Authority) is preparing to limit the advertisement of certain financial products that the country’s government deem too risky. The regulator published a communique which effectively starts a period of consultation with the industry and clients of the financial services.
High-leverage products will be limited across the board with binary options, forex and CFDs with over 1:10 leverage being forbidden. The country’s regulator is also enforcing a ban on warrants, cocos (Contingent Convertible bonds), futures and some turbocharged products with leverage higher than 1:10, which have been on the offer by commercial banks.
[gptAdvertisement]
FXCM on the move
Tuesday - FXCM, once the biggest retail forex broker in the US but now expelled from that market, renamed itself and introduced changes to its senior management . The forex, CFDs and spread betting provider promoted the European subsidiary’s CEO, Brendan Callan, to Interim CEO. He has been with the firm since 2001 and has successfully been managing the company’s London-based branch since 2010. The embattled former CEO, Drew Niv, will retain an advisory role for the public company, which is to be renamed ‘Global Brokerage Inc’.
Playtech’s bullish 2016
On Thursday we learned that the gaming and online trading giant Playtech has benefited from CFH acquisition. Playtech’s 2016 annual results released last week showed substantial growth. The company’s second half was boosted by the acquisition of CFH for $120 million, which concluded on the 30th of November and added a total of €1.8 million to the company’s revenues.
For the full year 2016, revenues of the financials division increased by over 9 percent to €65.6 million. The company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) totalled €15.4 million, which is lower than 2015’s €15.9 million by 3 percent. The company has attributed the underperformance in its bottom line to an overall decline in volatility.
Israel to ban marketing binary option abroad, limit FX market
On Thursday we exclusively reported on the dramatic new Israeli law that targets the marketing of binary options abroad and unregulated forex brokers operating in the country. According to the new law, the draft of which was obtained by Finance Magnates hours before its official release, the ISA intends to ban the marketing of binary options by Israeli companies abroad, almost one year after it banned the targeting of Israeli citizens last March.
In addition, foreign exchange brokers with an Israeli license will not be allowed to offer FX or onboard clients of foreign countries if they don’t hold a license in those countries. The penalties for violators of the law include jail time of up to two years.
According to new data released by the regulator, binary options made up 17 percent of the 106,800 enquiries to the FCA’s consumer contact centre between December 2015 through November 2016. The watchdog attributes the increasing popularity of binary options to the current low interest rate environment.
However, the FCA added that it has concerns that UK consumers are being increasingly targeted by fraudsters who offer opportunities to invest in binary options. Many such illegitimate binary options firms do not appear to be regulated by any agency, either in the UK or abroad.
Exclusive: The5ers Founders Enter Brokerage Business with CySEC-Licensed “TSG.”
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
