MNHQ here: tell us what you think about whether MN should take ads for cryptocurrency trading

Personally, no, I don’t. Those in financial trouble may be tempted by it when it’s not as simple as placing a bet.

I don't understand why adverts promoting gambling (or supposedly similar products such as crypto currency) are considered irresponsible but constant threads advocating matched betting as an income stream are fine. Surely vulnerable people are just as at risk from the latter?

100% no. There is a huge difference between cryptocurrency and equity based investments. Cryptocurrency trading is indeed akin to gambling and comes with added counterparty and settlement risk. It's an area I know well professionally, and perhaps it could be appropriate for any posters clicking through to the Investments board, but otherwise - absolutely not.

So MN should protect their users because they're vulnerable? Says who?

They aren't protecting fatties when the advertise McDonalds.

My point is it's hypocritical and patronising to play god and disingenuous to suggest that the reason for not allowing gambling ads is about morality as opposed to PR / aesthetics.

Thus far we've taken the view that MNers are adults, many of them with a pretty sophisticated understanding of financial products and services, and so this isn't on our 'do not advertise' list.

This seems a cop-out, bound in flattery.

Many of your users may have a sophisticated understanding of financial products but I bet the vast majority (including me) don't.

I personally don't think it's in keeping with the site. It's a risky way of investing (gambling) and Mumsnet should be better than that.
If I saw such an advert I'd ignore it, but we do have a lot of people looking for 'easy' ways to make money that really can't afford to lose it.

I don't know. I don't know enough about it. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

I'd be fine with it. Investments always come with risks.

You're right, there is no such thing as a totally risk free investment.

The difference is that if someone chooses to invest as a result of my recommendation then they can seek redress through an established complaints process which affords them some level of protection.

If they choose to invest off their own back then that's their lookout and their responsibility to do due diligence. But as this is a relatively new asset class there is very little information available to prospective investors compared to those looking at property or investment funds. And yes, even those have their fair share of scams.

The point I'm making is that this is not a proven asset class and as such should be treated with extreme caution. To advertise it to a vulnerable audience is irresponsible. Many people are far too trusting, don't bother to do proper due diligence and are hardest hit when it all goes wrong.

No. These currencies aren't independently regulated and are too volatile.

I don't think you should. Crypto currency comes with none of the safeguards of other financial products. I recently managed to convince my naive adult son not to put his small savings into crypto currency. The very thought makes my blood run cold. Investments are protected by legislation. This is a very different kettle of fish.

"a sophisticated product that some people will do very well out of and others will do very badly from"

Like property? Investment funds? My Bridesmaid lost millions to Bernie Madoff.

Are there any risk-free investments? Couldn't Brexit put millions of property owners into negative equity?

Where do you (chartered?) draw the line between gambling and investing when all investment is a gamble?

No, I don't think you should. It is the same as gambling, and like the MLMs I think there are a lot of women who are very vunerable to the promises made of making money that 'fits round the kids'

It really is more analogous to gambling. As a regulated financial adviser I am bound to be biased, but it is a sophisticated product that some people will do very well out of and others will do very badly from. It is open to all sorts of cowboys and scammers as it's totally unregulated with no course to redress if things go wrong. The Mumsnet community includes very many vulnerable people and you owe it to them not to accept these types of adverts.

You need to explain why "this sort of trading" is analogous to gambling. Do you think this about all investments?

Investing in property or government bonds is still a gamble.

The difference perhaps is that many, many of your users certainly don't have a sophisticated view, will have heard a couple of buzzwords and not fully understand the risks. This is the pressing issue.

As I've been bombarded by McDonalds ads this morning, I think it would be hypocritical to suddenly want to play god and decide what appropriate advertising is.

I also suspect that the refusal to accept ads for gambling is more to do with appearance (the site would look cheap and tacky) as opposed to you being against gambling. If you genuinely are against perfectly legal betting then it's worrying you see yourselves as a buffer between real life and users of your forums.