Is binary betting (and spread betting) just like playing roulette?

I'm trying to find evidence that it's possible to profit from trading. I read that 95% of spreads bettors lose, that doesn't inspire confidence. I'm starting to think that investing is just a way for banks, brokers and spread betting companies to make risk-free commissions from investors playing a zero sum game.

I received my annual pension statement today. The investment gain was -5%. But of course, the pension company took 0.5% of my total pension in annual charges. I lose and they still win.

I think that sums up the financial services industry.

I'm sure 100% of spread betters lose, just like 100% of all traders lose at some point.

How many have made good money by the end of year one? I think it's better than 5%, but not by much. Pareto's Law I think is in force.

And I wouldn't put it past the betting companies to all be members of some quiet cartel, I mean, there's only a dozen or so in the UK, who owns them? Who regulates them?

Don't get me wrong, I am positve you CAN win, I intend to do so myself, but the odds are deffo stacked up against us. You need to have a block of ice on your head and no real committments to keep from trading scared/greedy.

I was reading yesterday about how professional traders actually trade.

In general, they watch for stocks that are trading strongly on the day then they study the order flow. If there are lots of buy orders waiting to be filled then they jump on board the stock. Similarly, if there are lots of sell orders stacking up, they short the stock. I don't think the pros sit there studying candlesticks and indicators.

All the crucial trading info is available on a level 3 trading account which is only available to FINRA members and not individual investors. No wonder the pros win and retail investors lose, the pros have all the cards stacked in their favour. It's definitely not a level playing field. This ignores any insider trading that occurs, which makes it even tougher for retail investors to win.