Is betting on the financial markets illegal in the US like online casinos or sports betting

do not think so. Ask the police.

Of course not. Have you not read up on the Options and Futures markets?

What is that if not making side bets on the future value of financial markets?

What do you think stock trading is all about? The world is markets can not survive without it.

What IS illegal is trading on the markets when you have ''insider information'' about pending mergers or downsizing, and you take advantage of this knowledge to either buy up a large amount of stock, or to sell it.

The same criteria applies to all markets, whether they are gold, or money, or pork bellies.

I bet all the time. I call it trading... Buying low and hopefully selling higher.
;)
.jj

I did not think it was.. but may vary from state to state.. I know you can do this in the UK.. it actually is a lot better than betting on anything else.

No! Insiders do it all the time and git away wit it!