Interactive Brokers ForecastEx Bonus & Promo Codes

Interactive Brokers has no published promo code for ForecastEx prediction markets. The operator offers something entirely else. That’s no separate commission on forecast contracts, and interest is paid on the collateral behind open positions.

Every other US prediction market operator charges for trades and pays nothing on the stake. The longer you hold a position, the more the carry works in your favor.

ForecastEx Promotions, Commission and Interest on Collateral

Does ForecastEx Have a Promo Code?

Interactive Brokers or ForecastEx doesn’t have a promo code for a sign-up offer. There’s nothing that even resembles a welcome bonus or a no-deposit offer for new players. The commercial terms are in the pricing model instead.

No Commission on Forecast Contracts

Forecast contracts on the platform have no separate commission. However, trading isn’t entirely free. The cost comes in the spread rather than a line.

Yes or No contracts for single events sum up to roughly $1.01 instead of the usual $1.00. CME contracts are a different product, and they follow standard IBKR futures commissions, instead of ForecastEx’s structure.

Interest on Your Collateral

At most prediction markets, money behind open positions is idle until settlement. ForecastEx accrues interest when holding positions. The cost of the carry comes to you instead of slipping away.

This scales with time, and is beneficial on long-dated contracts, while intraday contracts accrue almost nothing.

Why Collateral Interest is ForecastEx’s True Offer

ForecastEx accrues interest on held positions. The cost of the carry runs toward traders instead of away.
The effect is worth most on long-dated contracts, and doesn’t bring anything on intraday contracts.
This is a structural feature of ForecastEx’s contract, but not a promotion or a bonus. There’s no expiry date and no playthrough.

The Pricing Model At a Glance

Term	Detail
Promo code	None.
Sign-up credit or bonus match	None.
ForecastEx forecast contract commissions	None charged, but embedded in the spread (Yes/No contracts at $1.01).
CME events through the same account	Follow standard IBKR futures commission schedule instead, listed by the CME Group.
Collateral interest	Open positions accrue interest while held.
Contract prices	1c-99c. Settlements at $1 or $0.
Collateral	Fully collateralized.
App	None. Traded through IBKR Desktop, Client Portal, the IBKR mobile app, the ForecastTrader interface.
Funding	ACH, wire transfer, standard IBKR methods, no crypto.
Also distributed by	Robinhood. Check the comparison below.

What ForecastEx Actually Lists

Unlike Kalshi or other operators, ForecastEx prediction markets don’t list sport contracts.

What ForecastEx Lists Instead

Category	Detail
Economics	Yes.
Climate and weather	Yes.
Politics	Yes.
Native sports markets	No.
CME event contracts	Available through the same Interactive Brokers account, but listed by the CME Group.
Further contracts	Added by self-certification.

ForecastEx Against Kalshi, Polymarket and Robinhood

Compared to the three other prediction market operators, ForecastEx is the cheapest. The tradeoff is the lack of native sports markets. But there’s no commission due to the embedded spread cost, which comes at roughly a cent per contract pair. Interest paid on collateral is a strong ForecastEx feature that no rival offers.

Beyond the lack of sports contracts, ForecastEx also has thinner liquidity. It’s built for active, institutional traders rather than casual traders.

The Four US Prediction Markets Pricing Models, Side by Side

Venue	What it Charges to Trade	What it Pays You
Kalshi	Taker fee, peaks at the 50c midpoint.	Nothing on the stake. Maker orders are free on most markets.
Polymarket	Taker fee, under the recent schedule of July 1, 2026.	Maker rebate on resting orders.
Robinhood	Probability-weighted commission (10%, or 5% with Robinhood Gold, of price × (1−price) × quantity, capped at $0.01/contract), plus the underlying exchange’s own fee, charged per contract per side.	Nothing on the stake.
ForecastEx	No commissions on forecast contracts.	Interest on collateral behind open positions.

Funding and Where to Trade

To trade at ForecastEx, you need an existing Interactive Brokers account. There’s no standalone ForecastEx app or a separate account.

Access Point	Details
Client Portal	Full website access through a browser.
IBKR Desktop	Full trading access.
IBKR mobile app	On-the-go trading.
ForecastTrader	Client-facing interface for the product.
Trader Workstation	API access for programmatic trading.
ForecastEx app	n/a.
Alternative route	Robinhood Derivatives distributes ForecastEx contracts to Robinhood customers under its own fee schedule.
Required account	Interactive Brokers account.

Check Before Assuming a Contract Trades Free

Before you assume that a contract fee applies, check the following points.

Which venue lists what. ForecastEx contracts carry no commission. CME event contracts from the same account carry standard IBKR futures commission.
Whether the contract is long-dated for the collateral to matter.
Check to see whether you’re trading through Interactive Brokers or Robinhood. The latter applies commission on top of the exchange’s fee.
Check to see that you’re not confusing the ForecastEx product with broader Interactive Brokers coverage.

How ForecastEx Is Regulated

ForecastEx LLC and Interactive Brokers LLC

ForecastEx LLC is a CFTC DCM designated prediction market. It was licensed in June 2024. It also holds a DCO registration, meaning that it lists and clears its own contracts.

Access is intermediated by Interactive Brokers LLC, a CFTC-registered futures commission merchant. Settlement sources are named by the ForecastEx rulebook. The exchange lists the contract; the broker carries the customer.

Who Can Trade

As a predictions market, ForecastEx is regulated and available on a federal level. You need an Interactive Brokers account to access it. Robinhood also distributes ForecastEx contracts to its customers, but the cost is different.

State-level restrictions may apply to specific market categories. Check the ForecastEx legal states page to see what’s available where.

Payout and limits

Average payout in our test: 72 hours
Typical withdrawal time: 72 hours

Frequently asked questions

Does ForecastEx have a promo code?

No, it doesn’t. ForecastEx doesn’t have a promo code nor a sign-up bonus. It’s not a sportsbook or casino, so its promotional value lies elsewhere. It’s in the pricing instead, with no commissions on forecast contracts, and interest paid on collateral behind open positions.

What does it cost to trade a ForecastEx contract?

Interactive Brokers doesn’t charge commissions on ForecastEx’s contracts. CME events are reached through the same account. However, they follow standard IBKR futures commissions schedules. Check whether your selected venue lists an event contract before assuming it trades free or not.

Does ForecastEx pay interest on open positions?

Yes, it does. ForecastEx open positions accrue interest on the collateral when held. This is structurally different from every other venue in the USA in this category. Most will let the stake sit idle until settlement. At ForecastEx, the longer a prediction contract runs, the stronger the value.

Is ForecastEx cheaper than Kalshi?

Yes, on its published terms. Kalshi charges price-dependent taker fees, which peak at a 50c contract price. ForecastEx charges no commissions on forecast contracts. It pays interest on the collateral, so the longer you hold an open position, the larger the interest.

What markets does ForecastEx list?

ForecastEx doesn’t list sports markets. It lists economics and economic indicators, political events, climate and weather, and further contracts added by self-certification. Interactive brokers provides access to CME Group’s own event contracts via the same account for a wider catalog.

Do you need an Interactive Brokers account to trade ForecastEx?

Yes, you do. Direct access to ForecastEx’s contracts is provided through an Interactive Brokers account. You can use the IBKR desktop client, the mobile app, the client portal for browser access, or the ForecastTrader interface. There’s no ForecastEx mobile app. Robinhood also distributes some of ForecastEx’s contracts to its traders.

Is trading ForecastEx through Robinhood the same price?

No. Robinhood has its own fee schedule, which is charged per contract per side. The underlying contract is the same as ForecastEx’s product, but the cost is different. Check the prediction markets tracker for the broader federal picture. Our ForecastEx legal states page lists the current availability of markets across US states.