These accounts offer you the thrills and excitement of spread betting with the benefit of a safety net. All bets are subject to a maximum 'stop-loss', this is a specific level at which certain trades are closed to prevent open-ended losses or profits. This means that when trading on a Shield account you have the knowledge of the maximum you can lose on each bet. Lets take the following example:

Stop Loss Example: New Zealand v England - 1st Test (Christchurch - March 2002)

At 106 for 5 in their second innings, England were precariously positioned. Sporting Index predicted that England would score 30 or so runs before the next wicket fell.…. and as a result their Fall Of Next Wicket quote was 135-140:

Now say you were expecting on of England's spectacular collapses and you SOLD £2 per points at 135. Graham Thorpe and Andy Flintoff surprisingly stunned the Christchurch crowd as they smashed shots all around the ground on their way to a 6th wicket partnership of 281 … Flintoff finally left the crease with England on 387. With a credit account you would have lost (387 - 135) x £2 = £504.

Now say you were expecting one of England's spectacular collapses and you SOLD £2 per points at 135. Graham Thorpe and Andy Flintoff surprisingly stunned the Christchurch crowd as they smashed shots all around the ground on their way to a 6th wicket partnership of 281… Flintoff finally left the crease with England on 387. With a credit account you would have lost £504. However, if you had BOUGHT £2 per point at 140, with a credit account you would have won (387 - 140) x £2 = £494.

Stop Loss.
The stop win/loss for this market is 100 points. Therefore with a limited exposure account you would have minimised your potential losses and winnings to 100 x £2 = £200.

Other points:
The Sporting Index Shield Account also allows you to operate your account directly from your bank account, meaning the balance is settled on a weekly basis via your debit card.

With a Credit Account experience the thrill of unlimited gains / losses of spread betting.

The key difference between spread betting and fixed-odds betting. Profits, and losses, are made in proportion to whatever unit stake you choose, but the stake is not the limit of your financial risk. With a £10 bet with a High Street bookmaker, that £10 is all that can be lost. A £10 per run bet on cricket can win, or lose, many times more than the £10 unit stake.

So remember, you have no safety net with a credit account. Be careful and don't gamble with money you can't afford to loose.