Official Rules - MarketZAR Trading Contests

These Rules apply to the E-mini S&P 500 Stock Index Futures, Mini Dow Futures, Mini Stock Index combined (ES, YM, ER2, NQ), and Euro Currency Futures, and DJ EuroStoxx 50 Simulated Trading Contests conducted by MarketZAR, Inc ., 3812 Cedar Heights Drive Cedar Falls, IA 50613. 


By entering, you agree to be bound by the following rules:

1. There is a $49.95 license fee to use the contest version of the BEST Direct trading platform to trade up to 1000 trades in a one-day, two-session trading contest; or 500 trades per session. There is no license fee for certain shorter duration, one-session trading contests, or for contests that are sponsored by a third party. All applicants must complete an online Official Entry. Trading in the Contest will be strictly limited to the individual contract or contracts that are traded in the contest that they have signed up for, and on the licensed version of the Simulated Trading System, "BEST Test." Contest is open to individuals in the general public whom are 18 years of age or older. Void wherever prohibited by law. MarketZAR, its subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, associated persons, officers, directors, introducing brokers, and members of their immediate family are ineligible. For each contest, only one entry per Contestant is allowed.

2. Official Entry must be received by 12:00 midnight U.S. central time on the night preceding the contest date.

3. MarketZAR is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, mechanically reproduced, misdelivered, incomplete, illegible, or unintelligible entries, messages, or mail; unavailable network connections; failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions; online failure; hardware, software or other technical malfunctions or disturbances; or any other communications failures or circumstances affecting, disrupting or corrupting the Contest in any manner including without limitations, receipt of entries or entrants ability to participate in the Contest, or winner notification or winner response to notification.

4. Half-day contests will have one trading session, and will last from 8:30 a.m. CT to 11:30 a.m. CT. For these contests, you must place and get filled on a minimum of 3 round turn trades, or 6 separate sides to be eligible to win the contest. Traders in MarketZAR's half-day, no license fee contests are only eligible to win prizes in one half-day contest per month.The one-day trading contests will consist of two sessions.  For the E-mini S&P 500, Mini Dow, Mini Stock Index combined (ES, YM, ER2, NQ) contests, the first session will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. CST, and the second session will run from 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. CST.  For the Euro Currency futures and Euro FX Spot (EUR/USD) contests, the first session will be from 7:20 to 10:20 a.m. CST, and the second session will run from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST. One week contests are held from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. CT to 3:15 p.m. CT. You must place and get filled on a minimum of 5 round turns or 10 sides in each trading session to be eligible to win the contest, except for the week-long contest, which has no trade minimum. Open positions at the end of each trading session will count towards your final P/L. Those positions will be valued as if they were offset at the market at the end of the trading session.

Half-day contests will have one trading session, and will last from 7:20 a.m. CT to 11:00 a.m. CT. For this contest, you must place and get filled on a minimum of 3 round turn trades, or 6 separate sides to be eligible to win the contest.

5. In two-session trading contests your account balance will be reset at $50,000 for the afternoon trading session, but all open positions and closed positions at the end of each session will count towards your overall P/L, which is used to determine the final rankings. For week-long contests, the maximum lot size you can trade is 5 contracts.

6. The maximum lot size you can trade is 30. For week-long contests, the maximum lot size you can trade is 5 contracts.

7. Margins are as follows: 
Stock Index Futures

  • Mini-sized Dow Futures (YM): $1,250 per contract simulated
  • E-mini S&P 500 Futures (ES): $2,250
  • E-mini Russell 2000 Futures (ER2): $2,625
  • E-mini Nasdaq Futures (NQ): $1,875

Interest Rate Futures

  • 10-year Treasury Note Futures (ZN): $675
  • 30-year Treasury Bond Futures (ZB): $1,012

Currency Futures

  • British Pound Futures (6B): $1,147.50
  • Canadian Dollar Futures (6C): $607.50
  • EuroCurrency Futures (6E): $1,620
  • Swiss Franc Futures (6S): $1,100
  • Japanese Yen Futures (6J): $1,552.50

Precious Metals Futures

  • eCBOT Gold Futures (ZG): $1,600
  • eCBOT Silver Futures (ZI): $3,500

Eurex

  • DJ EuroStoxx 50 (FESX): 1,375 Euro

If your margin requirements on working orders are 50% greater than your liquidating value, you can be disqualified from the contest. You can also be disqualified from the contest if you place new trades that put your account in margin deficit. Please keep this in mind when trading.

8. Your account will reflect a simulated commission charge of $7.50/side. Please take this into consideration when trading, as it will be reflected in your P/L which will determine the final contest standings.

9. Entrants will trade a $50,000 Simulated Trading Account on the licensed version of the Simulated Trading System, "BEST TestT." Awards will be determined from among all eligible entries received. Prizes will be awarded to the seven highest simulated account values based on both morning and afternoon trading sessions on the date of the contest as follows:

1st Place: $1,500.00

2nd Place: $500.00

3rd Place: $250.00

4th Place: $100

5th Place: $50

6th Place: $50

7th Place: $50

For no-license-fee, half-day contests:

Prize Money

  • 1st Place: $300
  • 2nd Place: $100
  • 3rd Place: $100
  • 4th Place through 7th Place: License fee waiver in full-day contest ($49.95 value)

For the June 23 through June 27 DJ EuroStoxx 50 Contest:

  • All simulated trading accounts will begin with 50,000 Euro, simulated commission charges will reflect 7.50 Euro.
  • 1st Place: $5,000 funded trading account with PFGBEST.com

Entrants are eligible for one prize only.

Traders in MarketZAR's half-day, no license fee contests are only eligible to win prizes in one half-day contest per month.

10. Winners will be notified by mail, e-mail, or telephone. Failure to execute and return any requested documents within 10 days of attempted delivery of same, or the return of any prize notification as undeliverable will result in the awarding of the prize to an alternative winner.

11. Winners may be required to execute an affidavit of eligibility and compliance with the Official Contest Rules and a liability and publicity release.

12. Taxes are winner's sole responsibility.

13. MarketZAR reserves the right to view and/or monitor all accounts at any time throughout the Contest for purposes including, but not limited to, the protection and fairness of all Entrants. MarketZAR's decisions with respect to the prizes are final.

14. Entry constitutes permission to post winners' first name(s) on Website and to use winner's name, hometown and likeness for purposes of advertising and promotion without further compensation. Except as required by law, MarketZAR will not share entrant information with any third parties that are not affiliated with MarketZAR or with companies that provide licensed versions of their software for MarketZAR .

15. MarketZAR has neither made nor is in any manner responsible or liable for, and hereby disclaims, any warranty, representation or guarantee (express or implied, in fact or in law) relative to the prize or use or enjoyment of the prize.

16. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Contest Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Customer and MarketZAR in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with, the substantive laws of the State of Illinois, USA without regard to choice of law rules.

17. The purpose of the Official Contest Rules is to ensure that every Participant will have the same opportunity for success. Each Entrant agrees that MarketZAR has the right to remove or bar any Entrant from the Contest, who, in its sole judgment, has violated any of the Official Contest Rules or whom would tend to dishonor the Contest. MarketZAR reserves the right to amend, waive, or interpret any rule if, in its sole discretion, to do so would be in the best interests of the Contest.

18. This agreement shall not be deemed accepted until approved by MarketZAR. MarketZAR, in its sole discretion, may reject any Entrant's application for any reason. Entry in the contest is void where prohibited by law. Winners will be solely responsible for any taxation on awards.

Please see the complete Terms and Conditions for the MarketZAR web site.