Risks of gamified markets: Are you ready for your next hit?

Worryingly, we are seeing more and more gambling-like activities and solutions

    • Trading apps want you to commingle trading with investing, but there is a distinct line between the two.
    • Trading apps want you to commingle trading with investing, but there is a distinct line between the two. IMAGE: PIXABAY
    Published Tue, Sep 1, 2026 · 03:33 PM

    TRADING for kicks is a high-cost hobby, but increasingly gamified markets are conditioning the next generation to treat financial risk as a sport.

    Recently, I gave an induction presentation to around 60 graduates who just joined the bank. Everyone was asked to share one word for how they were feeling; I said “old”. Part of this was just a bit of fun, as I joined the bank well before any of them were born.

    However, I am also getting more worried about the outlook for the next generation. I am not sure how much of this is due to me getting older and worrying about newfangled technologies in general, and how much reflects justified concerns for what lies ahead.