Spread betting occupies a curious niche in the UK financial landscape. Its tax perks, low barriers to entry and 24-hour markets lure thousands each year, yet most walk away poorer. The question that hangs over every new account holder is brutally simple: can you actually craft a spread-betting strategy that works, and sticks, for the long haul? The short answer is "yes, but not by accident." The longer answer requires a candid look at how strategies are built, tested and stress-proofed.