Last Updated on 11 September, 2023 by Samuelsson

Is Stock Trading Gambling?

Trading stocks is not gambling if you have an edge in the market. Unfortunately, many traders

In world where everybody wants to get their hands on money and that too, alottt of money. Stock Trading & Gambling is a game for the clever but not for the unlucky. You might have thought at first that somehow, one way or the other both are same, but they are not. Let me start by defining each of them.

Gambling

You see Hollywood movies, they show you people gambling and living lavish lifestyles, making you think it is something quite easy but it is not. Gambling is a process in which you wager money or something of considerable value on an event that assures no certain outcome. Law in states such as Las Vegas, USA permits gambling and every single casino on the block has tables to offer. Gambling cannot only take place in Casinos but also on horse races etc. It is you risking your money for outcome that you do not know. Excessive Gambling has known to become addictive with time. People who gamble continuously become addicts and it becomes very had to let go of the addiction afterwards. Some have to sometimes seek help to get rid of such addictions.

Stock Trading

Your school takes a trip to stock exchange and after experiencing how it works, you think it is easy money but not for everyone. Stock trading is a process, which involves a person or a company, trading equity securities. Usually there are “agents” who trade stocks even on behalf of someone to earn them some money. The agent however, needs to be authorized to both purchase and sell on the behalf of the owner. An agent through a stockbroker usually does trading. While the agents are paid commission. Even though it’s quite hectic job, but some people have made a professional career out of this. For you to be a successful stock trader, you need to be on your toes and aware of everything happening around you. Stock trading is all about timing and acting as soon as an opportunity arises.

Difference between Stock Trading & Gambling

Risk Management

The main purpose of both Stock Trading & Gambling is to minimize risk while you intend to achieve maximum profits. But when it comes to adopting principles the two become different. The stock traders would diversify their portfolio to minimize risk and potential losses but gamblers on the other hand would only put their money in if the odds are favorable.

Time-Bound

Like almost everything in life, Gambling too is time-bound. Another key difference between stock trading and gambling is this. Gambling is a time-bound practice whereas stock trading can last several years. In gambling, once the game is over, the probability of making more profit from your wages ends too. Stock trading however, is not like that, it allows you to earn profits as long as you want to be in the game.

Limiting Losses

Limiting Losses is everyone’s aim but how to do it is the main skill. Another benefit of stock trading is that you can limit your losses. For example if you observe that the market situation is not what you desire or profitable, you can prevent total loss by selling your stocks to someone else and still hold onto 90% of risk capital.

Incase of gambling you cannot get your money back. For instance if you have bet on a particular horse on its winning, but it doesn’t and you lose. You are not getting any of your money back.

Analyzing the market

Stock market can be a blessing for the clever but merciless on those who fail to put in their part of research & analysis. In order to improve their chances of winning, both stock traders and gamblers adopt different techniques and methods. One of those strategies involves careful analysis before risking money. It allows you to get an idea of what you can expect from the market in the coming days. You can also research about the company you want to purchase shares of.

In gambling however, the only thing at your disposal is observing and analyzing the patterns of betting and mannerisms of your opponents. This can help you in making better decisions and provide a bit of prediction about the outcome.

Available Information

In stock trading, information on almost everything is available. If you intend to purchase stocks of some company, you can have a look at the annual reports of the company on your smartphone even and decide accordingly. Whereas, in gambling gamblers do not have any access to the previous information.

Safety

You can be as careful as a turtle crossing the road but you still have to watch out. While entering the casino, you will not be taking any risks until you place a bet. If by any means you decide not to place a bet, you can at any time withdraw the exact amount you bought in with no profits and no losses.

Unlike in stock trading, your money starts to work as soon as you invest it. Which means that you are not going to get the same amount back. It is highly unlikely. If you decide to withdraw your funds. It will be either profit or loss.

Related reading: Is Trading All About Luck?

Economic Benefits

You want to become rich overnight and so does the company, as a result you invest, but invest wisely. When you invest in stocks, you are doing business with the company, which reaps economic benefits by you making your funds available. Moreover, since in gambling you are not investing in any company, you are not providing any economic benefits.

Chances

Life will give you chances, but do not take them for granted. Stock trading allows you to put in more money to reap more benefits and mitigate risks. Its ability to let you stop losses is what makes it safe. In stock investing, the more you invest in different companies, the more benefits you are prone to reap. Whenever you feel like, you can stop your losses. However, in the long term, you will be making money.

In gambling however, once you have put in your money and keep on putting in more money, you are more likely to risk losing money because gambling does not allow you to stop losses. Moreover, when the odds are against you, you will not be able to revive your money.

Pure Luck

You might hear many gamblers telling you how easy it all is as it is totally a mind game and they have not lost even a single game. They assume that since they are good in analyzing the outcome, they have become the Godfathers. However, it is nothing but an empty claim.

In stock trading you can have seasoned stock traders. With all the required information available and by analyzing the market trends, one is very unlikely to lose. By understanding market trends and cycles, one can make decisions accordingly that will prove to be fruitful.

Bull Markets

Bull market is a financial condition, which experiences rising prices or expectancy of rising of a group of securities. The term “bull market” is often used to refer the stock market but it can be used for anything that is traded such as bonds, commodities, real estate and currencies. In stock markets, since the prices of securities rise and fall with time during trading, the term “bull market” hence is reserved for periods experiencing rising security prices. Bull markets as a result tend to last for several months or years.

Bull Markets however, are aggressive as it is dealing with high profits and risks on a daily basis. Sometimes the beginners, after experiencing some profitable business tend to get lucky, assume themselves skillful and that is exactly where the problem starts. In such cases, the beginners tend to neglect, overlook diversifying their portfolios, and put most of their money in buying once stock.

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