📖 The risks of binary options: math of losses and marketing traps
Binary options (BO) are not investments but “higher/lower” bets with a fixed outcome. The simplicity of the interface and promises of “up to 90% profit in a minute” mask a mathematically losing setup and a high risk of fraud. In this piece, we explain how BOs work, why the touted strategies don’t hold up, what attempts to “beat the system” lead to, and what sensible alternatives look like.
The goal of this piece is to present the mechanics of BOs objectively, examine popular “strategies” and legal risks, while taking an honest stance: avoid binary options. Instead, we’ll suggest legal ways to participate in markets and control risk.
What binary options are and how they work
A binary option is a bet on whether an asset’s price will be above or below a given level at expiration (in 1, 5, 15 minutes, etc.). The outcome is always binary: a fixed payout (e.g., +70–90% on the stake) or a total loss (−100% of the stake). There is no ownership of the asset — it’s a bet against the platform.
✅ Pros
- Low barrier to entry: simple interface
- Risk visible up front: you can’t lose more than the stake
- Quick outcome: expirations from 30 seconds to several minutes
❌ Cons
- Negative expected value: payout < 100%, loss is 100%
- Conflict of interest: you play against the platform; your profit is its loss
- No position control: no partial exits or stop‑loss orders
- Fraud‑prone environment: quote manipulation, account blocks, “bonus” traps, withdrawal issues
🚫 Why binary options are a scam by design
1) The math is against the player
Even with a small edge in your favor, losing streaks are inevitable. Without flexible position management and stop orders, attempts to “average down with bigger bets” only accelerate ruin.
2) Conflict of interest and opacity
Most platforms are non‑market venues. You are not trading against other participants; you are “playing” against the platform itself. This encourages manipulation: execution delays, price “slippage” by a few points against the client, arbitrary payout cuts.
3) Legal vacuum and offshores
Sites often operate from offshore locations and without licenses. If withdrawals are withheld or accounts blocked, users have almost no recourse: contracts are jurisdictionally slippery and difficult to enforce.
4) Withdrawal problems
- ❌ Demanding a “withdrawal fee” upfront; after payment — silence
- ❌ Endless verification: repeated requests for new KYC documents
- ❌ Citing “rule violations,” retroactive cancellation of winning trades
🧩 Popular BO “strategies” and why they fail
The internet is full of “grails” — from Martingale to “secret signals.” The core flaw is the same: fixed payout below 100% plus no position control turns any method into a statistically losing game.
Martingale (doubling after a loss)
The idea: every loss is offset by doubling the next stake until a win arrives. In BO this breaks because the win pays not 100% but, say, 70–90%. A single extended losing streak (5–7 in a row) quickly wipes the account or hits the platform’s bet limit.
Anti‑Martingale / “account ramp‑up”
Increasing the stake after a win looks “safer,” but ordinary market noise soon resets you to zero. Random noise on minute expirations overwhelms any “streak.”
Grids, averaging down, and chases
Adding to positions as price moves against you doesn’t reduce risk — BOs have no partial exits and no break‑even point. One wrong direction = a series of losses equal to 100% of each stake.
Trend/oscillator setups (MA, RSI, Stochastic)
Indicators are useful in exchange trading, but on ultra‑short BO windows random noise dominates. The direction of a 1‑minute candle is often unknowable; payout <100% kills the math even at “accuracy” of 52–55%.
Breakouts and news
Volatility runs high on news and breakouts, but predictability is low. Even the correct direction can lose because of an intraminute “spike.” In BO you cannot manage the order or take partial profits like on an exchange.
One‑Touch, Range, Ladder
Exotic variants (will/won’t hit a level; remain in a range; tiered payouts) only make the game look fancier without changing its essence: you’re buying a lottery ticket. Marketing is brighter, but the expected value remains negative.
Straddle / “hedge” in BO
Placing bets both ways (or on adjacent levels) feels like “insurance,” but because of payout ratios the combined EV stays negative: on average you pay more than you receive.
Signals, bots, and “insider tips”
Paid signals and “trading robots” are a classic funnel for selling illusions. Even if a method works temporarily, the platform can cut payouts, add delays, or declare the strategy “prohibited.”
⚖️ BO vs. real financial instruments
Binary options
- 📝 Essence — Higher/lower bet, fixed outcome
- 📦 Asset ownership — None; a bet against the platform
- 💰 Profit/Loss — + fixed payout (~70–90%), −100% of stake
- ⚙️ Risk management — None (hard expiry)
- 🏛️ Regulation — Often offshore/unregulated
- 🎯 Purpose — Gambling
Classic options
- 📝 Essence — The right to buy/sell an asset at a strike price
- 📦 Asset ownership — Can be exercised to obtain the asset
- 💰 Profit/Loss — Loss limited to premium; upside potentially unlimited
- ⚙️ Risk management — Flexible (sell/buy back before expiry, strategies)
- 🏛️ Regulation — Exchanges/licensed brokers
- 🎯 Purpose — Speculation and hedging
CFDs/Forex
- 📝 Essence — Contract for difference in prices
- 📦 Asset ownership — None; position with a broker
- 💰 Profit/Loss — Variable; stop orders available
- ⚙️ Risk management — Stop-loss, take-profit, leverage control
- 🏛️ Regulation — Licensed dealers
- 🎯 Purpose — Speculation and hedging
Futures
- 📝 Essence — Exchange-traded contract for future delivery
- 📦 Asset ownership — Rights/obligations under the contract
- 💰 Profit/Loss — Variable; margin requirements
- ⚙️ Risk management — Stop orders, clearing, exchange oversight
- 🏛️ Regulation — Exchanges/licensed brokers
- 🎯 Purpose — Speculation and hedging
Key point: BOs are bets against “the house,” with no market and no risk‑management tools. Real instruments trade in regulated environments and allow position‑management strategies.
📜 Legality and regulation (in broad strokes)
- In many developed jurisdictions, selling BOs to retail clients is banned or tightly restricted
- Some countries allow only exchange‑traded BOs under supervision (with a limited set of contracts and transparent quotes)
- Most “online platforms” operate without licenses and outside the user’s jurisdiction (offshore registrations), which eliminates protection
- Before doing anything, check local rules on your regulator’s website and do not trust “licenses” issued by exotic offshore entities
🧪 Withdrawals, KYC, and “double‑dip” schemes
Common tricks
- “Withdrawal fee” upfront, “tax” to be paid — once you pay, they vanish
- Endless requests for documents (KYC) to run out the clock
- Canceling trades and cutting payouts citing “rules” and “prohibited strategies”
- Phishing site clones and fake “security teams” offering “help with withdrawal” for a fee
What to do if you have lost money
- Collect evidence: account screenshots, correspondence, payment receipts
- File a dispute with the payment service/bank (chargeback, if timelines allow)
- Report to your country’s relevant regulator and cybercrime unit
- Do not pay “fund recovery” agencies upfront — these are often part of the scam
✅ Legal and sensible alternatives
What to choose instead of BOs
- Long‑term investing via a licensed broker: stocks, bonds, ETFs, indices
- Exchange‑traded instruments for speculation and hedging: classic options, futures
- Regulated Forex/CFDs with licensed dealers, clear risks, and stop orders
- Education + demo accounts: practice with no risk first, then a careful live account with risk management
✅ Conclusion
Binary options are bets with negative expectancy, conflicts of interest, and a high fraud risk. “Strategies” only create an illusion of control; without position management and with payout below 100%, they do not work over the long run.
If your goal is to preserve and grow capital, use regulated instruments and brokers, keep learning, and follow risk management. BOs are best avoided.