IG regulation & licences
Our take
IG Group has been operating since 1974, when it launched the world's first financial spread bet on gold, and it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its regulatory coverage is exceptional: separate group companies hold licences in the UK, Australia, the EU (via Germany), Switzerland (IG Bank), Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Dubai, South Africa and Bermuda, and its US business now trades as tastyfx. Few retail brokers match that combination of age, public disclosure and top-tier supervision.
Best suited to: Traders who want a long-established, listed broker with the widest regulatory footprint
Licences on record 11
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong regulation
3 Tier 3 — moderate regulation
Licences are matched from public sources and regulator registers, and entities change over time. A licence held by one company in a group does not cover clients of another. Always confirm on the official register.
Regulatory profile
IG is a spread betting & CFD provider founded in 1974 and headquartered in United Kingdom. It is part of IG Group. Its parent company is publicly traded (LSE:IGG), which means audited financial statements are published regularly — a meaningful transparency advantage.
In our database IG is matched to 11 licences from ASIC, BaFin, CFTC / NFA, FCA, FINMA, JFSA, MAS, DFSA, FMA (NZ), FSCA and BMA. At the top of that list, the ASIC (Australia), the BaFin (Germany), the CFTC / NFA (United States), the FCA (United Kingdom), the FINMA (Switzerland), the JFSA (Japan) and the MAS (Singapore) are among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators that combine high capital requirements with meaningful retail protections.
Be aware that a single IG website can front several legal entities. Its ASIC and BaFin-regulated companies serve local residents, while international clients are frequently handled by entities supervised by BMA, which offer much weaker safeguards.
Depending on the entity, eligible clients may be covered by EdW (BaFin), FSCS (FCA) and esisuisse deposit protection up to CHF 100,000 (bank-licensed brokers) (FINMA). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under ASIC, BaFin and FCA rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the ASIC, BaFin and CFTC / NFA-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at ASIC).
IG provides access to its own proprietary platform, MT4, ProRealTime and TradingView. The advertised minimum deposit starts at zero (no minimum) — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- Public company with audited accounts
- Licensed by multiple tier-1 regulators
- Very wide market coverage
Points to check
- Offshore (Bermuda) entity offers weaker protection than UK/EU entities
- Product range and pricing differ between entities
Protection by entity
| Regulator | Compensation | Retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Disputes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ASIC | No statutory compensation fund for OTC derivatives; complaints go to AFCA | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients since March 2021 | Required for retail clients | Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) |
| 1 BaFin | EdW — 90% of claim, up to €20,000 (plus €100,000 deposit guarantee at banks) | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | BaFin consumer complaints / ombudsman schemes |
| 1 CFTC / NFA | No compensation scheme for retail forex (SIPC does not cover spot FX) | 50:1 on major FX pairs, 20:1 on other pairs | Not a regulatory requirement | NFA arbitration |
| 1 FCA | FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients (20:1 minors, gold and major indices) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) |
| 1 FINMA | esisuisse deposit protection up to CHF 100,000 (bank-licensed brokers) | Set by the bank; typically up to 100:1 for retail | Not a regulatory requirement | Swiss Banking Ombudsman |
| 1 JFSA | No compensation fund, but client funds must be held in a mandatory trust (kubun kanri shintaku) | 25:1 on FX for individual traders | Not a regulatory requirement | FINMAC (Financial Instruments Mediation Assistance Center) |
| 1 MAS | No compensation scheme for leveraged FX | 20:1 on major FX pairs for retail investors | Not a regulatory requirement | Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC) |
| 2 DFSA | No compensation scheme | Set under DFSA conduct rules for retail clients; check the firm's disclosures | Not confirmed — check with the broker | DFSA complaints / DIFC Courts |
| 2 FMA (NZ) | No compensation scheme; approved dispute resolution schemes | No fixed statutory cap; conduct and disclosure rules apply | Not a regulatory requirement | Approved dispute resolution schemes (e.g. FSCL, IFSO) |
| 2 FSCA | No compensation scheme; FAIS Ombud handles complaints | No statutory retail leverage cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FAIS Ombud |
| 3 BMA | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | BMA |
Trader reviews
No reviews yet. If you've used IG, share what withdrawals, support and execution were like.
Write a review of IG
IG regulation FAQ
Is IG regulated?
Yes — in our database IG is matched to 11 licences: ASIC (Australia), BaFin (Germany), CFTC / NFA (United States), FCA (United Kingdom), FINMA (Switzerland), JFSA (Japan), MAS (Singapore), DFSA (United Arab Emirates), FMA (NZ) (New Zealand), FSCA (South Africa) and BMA (Bermuda). Which of these protects you depends on the legal entity you open an account with. Always confirm the licence on the regulator's official register.
Is IG a tier-1 regulated broker?
IG holds 7 licences from regulators we classify as tier 1: ASIC, BaFin, CFTC / NFA, FCA, FINMA, JFSA and MAS.
Does IG accept US clients?
IG is matched to a CFTC/NFA registration in our database, so a US-regulated entity exists. US accounts are subject to 50:1 leverage caps, FIFO and no-hedging rules.
Is my money protected with IG?
Clients of IG's BaFin, FCA and FINMA-regulated entities may be eligible for statutory compensation (EdW — 90% of claim, up to €20,000 (plus €100,000 deposit guarantee at banks); FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm; esisuisse deposit protection up to CHF 100,000 (bank-licensed brokers)). Clients of other entities rely on segregation of funds and the firm's financial strength.
What is the minimum deposit at IG?
IG advertises no fixed minimum deposit on its standard account, although some account types, payment methods or entities may require one.
How can I verify IG's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in IG's client agreement or website footer, then search it on the regulator's official register (linked from each licence on this page). Confirm that the website domain you use is listed on the register, and check the regulator's warning list for clones.