Computer system and method for speculating on a financial market

A computer system for speculating on a financial market, comprising:

• an input component for accepting from a user one or more parameters, the one or more parameters defining a custom contract on at least one future characteristic of the financial market;
• a transmission component in communication with the input component for:
• transmitting the one or more parameters over a communication network to a trading system to calculate a value for the custom contract that will be offered to the user so that the user can purchase the custom contract at the calculated value, the calculated value determined based on the one or more parameters and data regarding the financial market;
• and
• receiving the calculated value from the trading system via the communication network;
• and
• a display component in communication with the transmission component for presenting to the user the calculated value for the custom contract,
• wherein the user can purchase the custom contract via the input component based on the presented calculated value and the one or more parameters to thereby create an obligation for a bookmaker to pay a payout amount upon the occurrence of the at least one future characteristic of the financial market satisfying the one or more parameters.

A computer system for speculating on a financial market, comprising:

• an input device;
• a display;
• a network interface;
• and
• a processor in communication with the input device, the display, and the network interface, the processor operable to:
• accept via the input device one or more parameters from a user, the one or more parameters defining a custom contract on at least one future characteristic of the financial market;
• transmit via the network interface the one or more parameters to a trading system to calculate a value for the custom contract based on the one or more parameters and data regarding the financial market;
• receive via the network interface the calculated value for the custom contract;
• display on the display the calculated value for the custom contract that will be offered to the user so that the user can purchase the custom contract at the calculated value;
• accept via the input device an order for the custom contract based on the displayed calculated value and the one or more parameters;
• and
• transmit via the network interface the order to the trading system, thereby creating an obligation for a bookmaker to pay a payout amount upon the occurrence of the at least one future characteristic of the financial market satisfying the one or more parameters.

A method for facilitating speculation on at least one future characteristic of a financial market, comprising:

• presenting to a user via a user terminal a menu of user-selectable parameters for a proposed contract on at least one future characteristic of a financial market;
• in response to user selection of one or more parameters via the menu, presenting to the user via the user terminal an indication of a value for the proposed contract, the value determined based on the one or more parameters and data concerning the financial market;
• and
• presenting to the user via the user terminal an option to place an order for a contract based on the value presented to the user and the one or more parameters selected by the user to thereby facilitate speculation on the financial market.

A system, comprising:

• an input device;
• a display;
• a network interface;
• and
• a processor in communication with the input device, the display, and the network interface, the processor configured to:
• present via the display a menu of user-selectable parameters for a proposed contract on at least one future characteristic of a financial market;
• in response to receiving via the input device a selection of one or more parameters from the menu, present via the display an indication of a value for the proposed contract, the value determined based on the one or more parameters and data concerning the financial market;
• present via the display an option to place an order for a contract based on the value presented via the display and the one or more parameters selected from the menu;
• and
• in response to receiving via the input device a selection of the option to place an order for the contract, transmit via the network interface an order for the contract to thereby facilitate speculation on the financial market.