How is trading *not* gambling?

[Malsetid]

How different is trading from just gambling? I know there seems to be a  big difference with technical analysis and whatnot, but in the end aren't you just betting on something completely random?

Nope I don't think so. its not random anymore if you've researched and analyzed the factors that may affect the end result. definitely when you're just starting to do trading it would be like gambling but as you gain experiences you pretty much would have an idea of how it works and it's not going to be random anymore. there are a lot of successful traders here and that's not through random luck

[Zadicar]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

[Xenophoto]

Because you wont lose money if you do trading right. Buy low sell high

Dude, how do you even do trading right? How can you know that the price is low? You might think it's low because there was a recent dump but you're still unsure if that's actually a good price to buy and if the market is going to pick up afterwards. You might buy and then the price would decrease even more. There's just no way to do trading "right", you still have to depend on luck for the outcome of your trading.

It's basically the same thing as gambling but we all associated the word "gambling" to stuffs like playing cards, dice, roulette, and sports betting. Basically stuffs that you bet on and not invest on.

[crairezx20]

Because you wont lose money if you do trading right. Buy low sell high

Dude, how do you even do trading right? How can you know that the price is low? You might think it's low because there was a recent dump but you're still unsure if that's actually a good price to buy and if the market is going to pick up afterwards. You might buy and then the price would decrease even more. There's just no way to do trading "right", you still have to depend on luck for the outcome of your trading.

It's basically the same thing as gambling but we all associated the word "gambling" to stuffs like playing cards, dice, roulette, and sports betting. Basically stuffs that you bet on and not invest on.

They are not the same actually but we are still need luck but i believe that more than price pump will happen than dumping.. since bitcoin is growing daily.. Also you need timing in trading and you need strategy to make a good profit..
Setting margin making tier 5 different tier for me it makes me good profit even a small amount of capital i can make a good profit..

[basesaw]

How different is trading from just gambling? I know there seems to be a  big difference with technical analysis and whatnot, but in the end aren't you just betting on something completely random?

their are times that trading is like gambling. although both gambling and trading will risk your money. in trading you can always control when you will sell or not. making a mistake in trading will surely will make you a lose. while in gambling you dont have the right wether you will win or you will lose. you can pick the winning rate but it will not guarantee you a sure earning.

[Idrisu]

Its similar to some forms of wagering like betting on horse racing or poker.
You are taking an educated guess. Doing research may give you a slight advantage which, over time, may allow you to make more money than other players.
But its still definitely a form of gambling.

Trading is widely different from gambling as the sky from the earth. Gambling is a games of chance and forex trading is a business. Gambling is based of a probability why  trading is based on skills and adequate knowledge. You don't need any knowledge to be successful in it but in forex you need to have adequate skill, understanding and know on how it works.

[Roger Burton]

How different is trading from just gambling? I know there seems to be a  big difference with technical analysis and whatnot, but in the end aren't you just betting on something completely random?

Well if you consider that trading is by all means affected by everyday news, updates on certain matters and even the resistance on both sides of the price (which are all depicted in graphs and you can exploit them :p) then you can clearly understand that you have 2 different "things".

Gambling in some cases too is more of a technical issue than pure luck, check Blackjack for example
You only gamble when you play things like the roulette, poker etc

[memequiserle]

How different is trading from just gambling? I know there seems to be a  big difference with technical analysis and whatnot, but in the end aren't you just betting on something completely random?

trading is very difference gambling
if gambling lost, you can lost all money, trading lost you can hold until bitcoin price up again an take profit
technical analys you can use pivot poin, you can sell is bitcoin price in resistance level 3 in montly, and buy bitcoin price in support level 3

[GreenBits]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

Im dont agree with you Trading is not a gambling even you are risking money in trading.Trading have many differences in gambling like the time.For me gambling is based on luck of person than the trading is based on your analytical skill.

[angaper]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

While it is true that there is a high degree of uncertainty in the markets that makes it difficult to predict with complete certainty the behavior of an asset, it is also true that there are lots of strategies and techniques that can lead you to an excellent performance in the long term, and this can not be the result of pure luck alone.

[basesaw]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

Im dont agree with you Trading is not a gambling even you are risking money in trading.Trading have many differences in gambling like the time.For me gambling is based on luck of person than the trading is based on your analytical skill.

i agree to you that gambling is not trading. but somehow trading ang gambling have in common. both trading and gambling is risking your money, you should know when to do bet high or bet low. in tading you should wait until you know the time when you will truly earn. but in gambling you should wait also if you want to earn sure money like in pokers. both uses analization. you should analize to earn. good in prediction is plus points for the two.

[1Referee]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

If you really think risk involved in trading is sitting on the same level as gambling, then you're simply not a trader, or at least, not a good one.

Very simple example;

Gambling - You dice $1000 worth of BTC at >50.50 where the outcome is <30.50 ~ Result $1000 instant loss.
Trading - You place a trade $1000 worth of BTC where you buy at $900, and where you end up selling at $810 ~ Result 10% = $100 loss.

In the trading example you then still have $900 left that you can use to trade your way up to the green again, where with gambling you end up with nothing. I can't deny that trading doesn't involve some sort of luck, but that's minimal where it's the skills that lead to you making profits. Gambling in this case is pure gambling where skills can't be applied.

[HelpfulElf]

Yeah - sorry, I'd have to agree. Unless you have some kind of insider information (not sure that would be legal, but anyway) then I think trading is exactly the same as gambling.

Also, insider information works for betting too... it's all way more similar than I think people want to believe. 

In any case, if you're an ordinary 'human' trader you're going to lose out to trading bots and companies with massively faster connections to the data (so they can move faster) than you ever can.

Just my opinion mind you!

[Viscore]

Yeah - sorry, I'd have to agree. Unless you have some kind of insider information (not sure that would be legal, but anyway) then I think trading is exactly the same as gambling.

Also, insider information works for betting too... it's all way more similar than I think people want to believe. 

In any case, if you're an ordinary 'human' trader you're going to lose out to trading bots and companies with massively faster connections to the data (so they can move faster) than you ever can.

Just my opinion mind you!

How can you have that inside information, it will only be possible if the market is rigged just like rigged games in sports betting. There is no such thing like that in trading, the price moves in real time and it is the true performance of the market. You have to make an effort for you to predict the right movement, otherwise you won't profit and you are just wasting your time and effort.

[HelpfulElf]

How can you have that inside information, it will only be possible if the market is rigged just like rigged games in sports betting.

Well I think enough said there..  I think the sports market is massively rigged!

There is no such thing like that in trading, the price moves in real time and it is the true performance of the market.

Well - unless you work for a company and you happen to know that they're planning to buy out another company next week or some other big news that will push the price up.. or down... 

[streazight]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

Im dont agree with you Trading is not a gambling even you are risking money in trading.Trading have many differences in gambling like the time.For me gambling is based on luck of person than the trading is based on your analytical skill.

But skill alone will not get you profits in trading, beyond your hard technical analysis only if you are lucky on that day, you may get chances to finish off your trade in profits else you may find results similar to gambling. Gambling is all about luck, but trading is partially about luck factor.

[Schuyler]

For me trading and gambling are partly similar because they both attempt to create a capital gain in a short period of time without creating a new wealth. 
They have different ways which trading is a rare transaction, and they get more value from finding a good opportunity, buying it cheap, and selling it at a much higher price sometime in the future.  While gambling, they have the chance that one thing will happen instead of a different thing.  It shows how much a person can win or lose by betting a certain amount of money.  

[agustina2]

How different is trading from just gambling? I know there seems to be a  big difference with technical analysis and whatnot, but in the end aren't you just betting on something completely random?

They are the same in the form of "you are risking money".

They just have different way and strategies how people will deal to it but in the end they are staking up money which they didn't know if it will become a profit or not. So basically trading is also gambling. Just don't get others here why they are saying that trading is not gambling since analyzation are applied in trading lol. It's that really the basis? Even with analyzation there can be a losses in trading so in the end people are gambling their money and will face the results of being a winner and loser.

[Qunenin]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

I have conflict with this statement. i think trading is not gambling. In gambling we have no data to make anaylsis on taking desicon whereas in trading we have all the data and more experience person will surely earn more in trading. On the other hand, experience does not matter in Gambling.Only luck is required in gambling to win.

[buwaytress]

Trading is indeed a gambling since you are risking money to earn money but this kind of gambling is different from other gambling games we know since trading could be learned and theres a proper way on how to lessen the risk and increasing the chance on making money on long term basis which you cant found in any gambling game,This is just my own view.

I have conflict with this statement. i think trading is not gambling. In gambling we have no data to make anaylsis on taking desicon whereas in trading we have all the data and more experience person will surely earn more in trading. On the other hand, experience does not matter in Gambling.Only luck is required in gambling to win.

I promise I am not arguing here, but I think there are certain forms of gambling that do analyse data and that tries to maximise information.

For example:
1. Card counting in card games like Blackjack and Poker. With poker, experience also matters a lot if you take into account learning opponent behaviours, observing for tells etc.
2. "Moneyball" statistics in sportsbook betting or fantasy sports, which takes into account probability and likelihood of individual players in sports such as football, basketball.

Just like trading, one can only use the above to predict outcomes and make calculated risks.