Futures are easily accessible to active retail investors. All futures markets use more or less the same principles. As soon as one knows these principles, he/she can trade whatever future they want, no matter on which exchange it is listed. In addition, futures are traded electronically, are 100% centralised and completely transparent.
Any retail investor who is using the right technology has access to exactly the same information as all professional investors. As a result of this, they both enter the market on equal terms.