Updated 9 October 2026Is Pocket Option regulated?
Regulation decides who protects you if a broker refuses a withdrawal or goes bust. Here is who operates Pocket Option, what its licence claims really cover, and which regulators have warned about it.
By BinarySelector editorial teamPlatform research for African markets · 9 October 2026
Short answer
No. Pocket Option is not authorised by any top-tier financial regulator such as the UK's FCA, Cyprus's CySEC or Australia's ASIC. No top-tier regulator. Pocket Option cites an offshore licence from MISA in the Comoros.
Who operates Pocket Option
Pocket Option says its operating company holds a licence from the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) on Mwali, one of the islands of the Comoros. MISA is an offshore licensing body: it offers no investor compensation and has no say over how Pocket Option treats clients in your country. Several major regulators have warned about the brand instead of authorising it.
Official warnings and alert lists
| Regulator | Country | Type of warning |
|---|---|---|
| FCA | United Kingdom | Published consumer warning |
| CFTC | United States | RED list of unregistered foreign entities |
| RBI | India | Alert List of unauthorised platforms (19 Nov 2025) |
| Bank of Russia | Russia | List of companies with signs of illegal activity (since 14 Sep 2021) |
What the different licences mean
Top-tier regulators
The FCA, CySEC, ASIC, BaFin and similar authorities supervise a broker's capital, require client money to be held separately and handle complaints, usually with a compensation scheme behind them. In the EU, the UK and Australia they ban or restrict binary options for retail clients, which is why brokers like Pocket Option do not accept clients there.
Offshore registrations
St Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, the Comoros and the Marshall Islands offer company registration or light-touch licences. They give little or no supervision of how trades are priced or how client money is held.
Private dispute bodies
The Financial Commission and similar organisations are membership bodies, not regulators. They can handle complaints against their members and some run a compensation fund, but they cannot license or shut down a broker.
What this means for you
- No government compensation scheme if the company fails.
- No regulator in your country to complain to: disputes go to the broker itself, or to its dispute body if it has one.
- How trades are priced, including weekend OTC quotes, is not independently supervised.
- Trading with it may break local rules in your country even if the site accepts you.
Where Pocket Option does not accept clients
According to its own terms, Pocket Option does not accept residents of: United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, the EEA (EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Israel, Japan, Brazil, and Philippines. Using a VPN to get around this breaks the terms and can lead to a frozen account.
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates Pocket Option?
No top-tier regulator. Pocket Option cites an offshore licence from MISA in the Comoros.
Is Pocket Option regulated by CySEC or the FCA?
No. Pocket Option has no FCA licence, and its binary options are not offered under a CySEC licence.
Is Pocket Option legal in my country?
It depends on your country. Many regulators ban binary options for retail clients or require a local licence that Pocket Option does not have. Check the page for your country before you sign up.
Would regulation stop me from losing money?
No. Even at regulated brokers most retail traders lose money. Regulation protects you against misconduct and insolvency, not against losing trades.
Sources: Pocket Option public offer agreement – restricted countriesRBI Alert List (19 Nov 2025)BinaryOptionsVision – FCA/CFTC warningsBinaryOptions.net – Pocket Option (payout, expiry 3s–4h, min. withdrawal)Pocket Option blog – demo USD 50,000Pocket Option blog – min. withdrawal, KYCBank of Russia – warning list