Collateralized Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	$ 1,895	$ 986
Securities loaned	13,000	15,140
CF & Co [Member]
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Repurchase agreements	$ 1,900	1,000
Repurchase agreements maturity date	Oct. 01, 2019
Securities loaned	$ 13,000	$ 15,100
Stated interest rate		2.94%
CF & Co [Member] \| Securities Financing Transaction, Fair Value [Member]
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Securities loaned	12,900	$ 15,300
CF & Co [Member] \| Securities Financing Transaction, Fair Value [Member] \| Fair Value [Member]
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Securities loaned	$ 12,900	$ 15,300
CF & Co [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	2.65%
CF & Co [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	3.00%

Repurchase agreements maturity date.

No definition available.

Name:	bgcp_RepurchaseAgreementsMaturityDate
Namespace Prefix:	bgcp_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesFinancingTransactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of securities loaned to entities in exchange for collateral. Includes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109249958&loc=SL6224234-111729

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226008-175313

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesLoaned
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of funds outstanding borrowed in the form of a security repurchase agreement between the entity and another party for the sale and repurchase of identical or substantially the same securities at a date certain for a specified price. Includes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226008-175313

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49176635&loc=d3e9760-107771

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(m)(1)(a)(i))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesSoldUnderAgreementsToRepurchase
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=bgcp_CantorFitzgeraldCoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesFinancingTransactionAxis=us-gaap_SecuritiesFinancingTransactionFairValueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: