How stupid is that? In response to the retail trader's story, a Robinhood spokesperson repudiated the idea that it had helped gamify stock trading, issuing the following statement to Motherboard: As a self-directed brokerage, we've invested heavily in stability, educational materials, and customer support so that we can meet our customers wherever they are in their investing journey. Over the past year, we've made a number of improvements to our options platform, including more rigorous eligibility requirements for customers who want to trade options. We're constantly working to provide an educational options experience so people can make informed investing decisions. Our platform is designed to make investing intuitive, approachable and more accessible, and it's important not to conflate that with gamification. The spokesperson additionally said the company's design and business model are industry standard and that Robinhood "continue[s] to refine our options approval process."