UPDATE 21 July 2010: Jabcat has ended coverage of movie box office futures now that the Wall Street Reform Bill has been signed into law. For previous coverage of movie box office futures . . .
Visit Jabcat’s Box Office Futures Page, which has links to news reports and regulatory happenings related to Cantor Exchange, Trend Exchange and movie futures.
Jabcat’s Box Office Futures Page is separate and distinct from Jabcat’s Box Office Futures Category.
The Movie Box Office Futures Deathwatch/Resurrection Checklist!, posted briefly here, would have duplicated many of the ongoing links found at Jabcat’s Box Office Futures Page. Rather than duplicate effort, you can follow the progress and/or death of movie box office futures there.
See Also:
 Men In Black III Global Dates By Country |
 Blue Pill Or Red Pilll Your Choice |
 Art House Spotlight: Drexel Theatre Columbus, OH |
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This is really getting pathetic. Swagger should go back to Indiana and plant something on his 150 year old family farm so he can discover what a true commodity is. It’s all over.
City Hall: Now that I finished reading the published comments, I have figured out who you are and found your statement the most comprehensive and persuasive. I also infer that you’re a Brit, Scot, Irish, Aussie or perhaps New Zealander. It seems like you have experience in futures or similar markets. My question then is whether these exchanges would pass muster in your home country. Also, I understand that there are betting sites that make book on a movies box office performance. Do you have any experience with these and do you think they can be used for hedging now that Rob Swagger is back planting turnips in Indiana?
Skeptic: ”’figured out who [I am]” – makes me sound like a criminal…! obviously I have no idea what published comments and statement you are talking about…but I would be fascinated to hear who you think I am and why?!.
You are right though that I am a Brit , impressive deduction.
Anyway, you are right there are a few websites that offer some form of gaming on box office results. InTrade is the one most often mentioned and there are also a few others that come and go (BetFair did at one stage) – Are you keen to get involved?! Truth is, to date there has not been the appetite for it, I think if you look at InTrade there just is no liquidity in the market.
Back in the UK, I am pretty sure something could be crafted that was compliant with futures law etc. As much as anything this is because the gaming/online gambling rules/spread betting rules are a lot less restrictive in the UK – this means there is less relevance to the kind of issues that cropped up in the MPAA/Cantor debates about gambling – you dont need to darw the distinction if there are no real consequences to the categorisation.
Many people are since the decision last week, suggesting that Cantor/Trendex lot can move the concept off shore – but I have my doubts about this – whether Cantor/Trendex admitted it or not, I think for this market to work, you really need to attract retail investors. It helps with liquidity and it probably improves the pricing element. Truth is though, you need US participation in that, US audiences take a considerably greater interest in box office performance than anywhere else in the world.
It was your letter to the CFTC (I think) that was published by Jabcat too. Not suggesting you’re a criminal, it was just that your argument along with certain word choices made it easy to figure out… that’s all. I was more curious about your relationship to Swagger and Jaycobs and experience in the futures market.
I agree with you that this is a dead issue. Cantor has folded its tents. Swagger is reduced to threatening to sue Pisano for disparaging comments and claiming he’s “grandfathered” and will proceed. Both contentions have only the certainty of enriching a lot of lawyers and neither is likely to be successful.
Thank you for your many responses. It was an interesting exchange.
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