Gold spread betting is a spread bet priced per point on the spot gold price, quoted in US dollars per troy ounce, with the stake in £ per point. The gold spread of Pepperstone was from 0.08 points on 25 Aug 2026, the lowest of the three brokers that publish one. The FCA leverage limit for gold is 20:1 (5% margin). Gold is available around the clock on weekdays from a UK spread betting account, with a short daily break set by the broker.
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Published Gold Spreads
| Broker | Published gold spread | Read on | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | from 0.08 points | 25 Aug 2026 | pepperstone.com |
| City Index | from 0.3 points | 25 Aug 2026 | cityindex.com |
| IG | from 0.3 points | 25 Aug 2026 | ig.com |
The other eleven of the 14 brokers we rank publish no gold spread on a page a server-side read can reach, so no figure appears for them. A published figure is a floor or a fixed quote as the broker words it, not the spread at the moment you deal.
The spread betting platform comparison carries the same nine-pair spreads our reviews quote, for all 14 brokers, ranked by score.
What A Gold Bet Costs To Hold
A gold bet held past the broker’s daily cut-off pays an overnight funding rate, which is its holding cost. Three of the 14 brokers we rank publish that rate on their own UK charges pages, read on 2 Sep 2026. Each published rate is an interest-rate benchmark plus the broker’s own charge, and none is gold-specific: they are stated per asset class or for all positions. The list below states each rate in the broker’s own words.
- IG: the relevant interbank rate plus an IG admin fee of 1.5% on FX and 3.4% on other asset classes. IG publishes it on ig.com.
- City Index: SONIA plus 3% on long positions, SONIA minus 3% on short positions. City Index publishes it on cityindex.com.
- Trade Nation: the 1-month interbank rate plus 2.5% on long positions. Trade Nation publishes it on tradenation.com.
How Gold Is Quoted On The Platforms
You can make spread bets on gold and other precious metals in different currencies, and each is impacted slightly differently. You will find that the most common currency to bet on precious metals is the USD, and depending on which platform you are using, you may see the ticker of gold and other precious metals differently.
If you trade using MT4/MT5, then you will see the precious metals as tickers, which are:
- XAU/USD
- XAG/USD
Whereas on proprietary platforms like the one IG has, they make it easier for you by labelling the assets by their names. TradingView uses the combination of the name and the ticket symbol.
What Moves The Gold Price
Gold is a good hedge. For example, when geo-political or economic factors such as inflation weaken the USD, gold is a popular investment option as it maintains with intrinsic value. It also acts as a good hedge or counterweight to other assets such as commodity-based currency pairs or stocks that mine gold since there is a positive correlation between the two.
Gold has historically been a good hedge against inflation and in times of war or global chaos. If you ever hear of rumblings about a new war on the horizon, you’ll be sure to see sudden movement in the price of gold.
Central banks buy gold as foreign exchange reserves and buy or sell based on how they manage the reserves. Gold Mining companies will buy futures to hedge against the change in price from when they mine to when they sell it. Institutional investors (hedge funds, funds/ETFs, pension funds) use strategies involving precious metals and would acquire gold itself or buy into companies that also profit off the price of gold.
Silver behaves similarly as a precious metal; our silver spread betting guide covers how XAG/USD bets differ. Gold is one market on our commodities spread betting hub, which covers the energy, metal and agricultural markets the brokers we rank quote.
Leverage, Tax And Stops Are Covered Once
- How a gold bet is staked and closed: What Is Spread Betting?
- 20:1 limit shared with major indices, and the margin behind it: Spread Betting Leverage
- No stamp duty, and capital gains tax free for most UK retail traders, depending on your circumstances: Is Spread Betting Tax Free In The UK?
- Ordinary and guaranteed stops on a market that gaps: Spread Betting Stop-Loss Orders
- Options on the same markets, offered by a few providers: What Is Options Spread Betting?
Spread betting is leveraged, so losses can exceed what you set out to risk on a bet. Across the 14 providers we compare, between 61% and 76.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs.
Gold Spread Betting FAQs
Can you spread bet gold in the UK?
Yes. You spread bet gold through an FCA-regulated broker, and the FCA sets the leverage limit for gold at 20:1 (5% margin). Three of the ranked brokers we compare publish a gold spread.
How much does gold spread betting cost?
The cost of gold spread betting is the spread, the difference between the buy and sell price. The lowest gold spread we sourced was from 0.08 points at Pepperstone on 25 Aug 2026. A spread bet carries no commission, and a position held past the broker’s daily cut-off pays overnight funding on top of the spread. Published gold spreads run from Pepperstone’s 0.08 points to City Index and IG’s 0.3 points, across the three brokers that state one, and a published overnight funding rate is an interest-rate benchmark plus the broker’s charge.
Why Does Gold Have High Spreads?
At times, you will find that gold has unusually high spreads. This usually coincides with factors such as market volatility, lack of liquidity due to a holiday, traders being away from their desks, or even upcoming economic news.
It’s a good idea to use our spread betting calculator before you place your spread bet, just to double-check your numbers and make sure you’re intelligently managing your trading risk.
Ask an Expert
Is spread betting on gold a good hedge against inflation?
Yes, gold is often used as a hedge against inflation because its value tends to rise when currencies weaken.
How does gold compare to other commodities for spread betting?
Gold is more stable than some other commodities like oil, but it still has enough volatility to make trading interesting.
How does spread betting on gold work?
Same as with Forex, you you bet which direction the price will move and hope you are correct.