McDonald's Monopoly

The McDonald's Monopoly game is a sales promotion run by fast food multinational restaurant chain McDonald's, with a theme based on the Hasbro board game Monopoly.[1] The game first ran in the United States in 1987 and has since been used worldwide. In the game, customers collect game pieces based on properties found on the Monopoly board in order to win prizes, such as cash, automobiles and trips by collecting all properties of the same color (known as a Monopoly), but can also receive "instant win" tokens to redeem free food. Game pieces are usually printed on the packaging of certain items, such as a Big Mac or large fries. The top prize is won if a customer gets both of the dark blue properties (Park Place and Boardwalk in the U.S. game), and is usually a US$1,000,000 cash prize.

The promotion has used other names, such as Monopoly: Pick Your Prize! (2001), Monopoly Best Chance Game (2003–2005), Monopoly/Millionaire Game (2013), Prize Vault (2014), Money Monopoly (2016–2024), Get Your Bag (2025), Coast To Coast (2015–2024), Double Play (2024–present) in Canada, Golden Chances (2015), Prize Choice (2016), Win Win (2017), Wiiiin! (2018), V.I.P. (2021), Double Peel (2022-2023),[2] Power Peel (2024), and Monopoly Special Edition (2025) in the United Kingdom.

History

The promotion was first offered in the United States, in 1987. Following countries included Canada,[3] Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom. Argentina and Brazil were included in 2013 as well as South Korea in 2014[4] and Ireland in 2016, with the first two promos running in the Summer until 2018 when the promotion's dates went in sync with the UK's promotions. From 2003 to 2009, Best Buy was involved in the U.S. version, and later in the Canadian version.

Like many merchants, McDonald's offered sweepstakes to draw customers into its restaurants. Laws generally forbid a company from administering its own contests, in order to prevent fraud and to ensure that all prizes are given away; as a result, such promotions are handled by an impartial third-party company.[5] McDonald's had a relationship with Simon Worldwide Inc., which was responsible for the distribution of the contest pieces and the awarding of major prizes.

In 2015, the Monopoly game was replaced in the US by "Game Time Gold", using an

Gameplay

The promotion mimics the game Monopoly. The game is also advertised with tokens appearing in Sunday newspapers.[10][11] Originally, customers received a set of two tokens with every purchase, but now tokens come only with certain menu items. Tokens correspond to a property space on the Monopoly board (with the exception of the Golden Avenue/Arches Avenue "properties", which were added in the 2008 edition; and Electric Company/Water Works utilities added in 2014). When combined into color-matched properties, the tokens may be redeemed for money or prizes. Historically, the grand prize ($1 million, annuity only) has been the combination of the two most costly properties, Park Place and Boardwalk, but in the 2006–2007 games the top prize ($5 million, with the traditional $1 million prize for Boardwalk/Park Place) was awarded for collecting the four railroads. In the 2025 game, the $1 million prize could only be won via the "Bonus Play" feature in the McDonalds app, with Bonus Plays being collected each time a customer redeems a game piece.

There are also "instant win" tokens the recipient can redeem for McDonald's food (typically small menu items, such as a free small McFlurry or medium fries) but never for any food item that has game pieces, money, or other prizes.

Criticism

The promotion has been criticized for incentivizing ordering more and upsizing the portions.[23][24] In 2019, Deputy Leader of the UK Labour Party, Tom Watson, said that the Monopoly promotion was a "danger to public health" and urged McDonald's to drop the "grotesque marketing strategy".[25][26]

Fraud

In 2001, the U.S. promotion was halted after fraud was uncovered. A subcontracting company, Simon Marketing (then a subsidiary of Cyrk), which had been hired by McDonald's to organize and promote the game, failed to recognize a flaw in its procedures. Simon's chief of security Jerome P. Jacobson ("Uncle Jerry"), a former police officer, stole the most valuable game pieces.[27]

External links

Commercial from 2018 Game

References

Monopoly mcdonalds.com.au, retrieved 2025-11-07^
Monopoly Consumer Rules 2022 www.mcdonalds.com, retrieved 2022-09-11^
Business Insider Business Insider, October 24, 2011, retrieved October 24, 2011^

Coupon pieces

Additionally, in the 2005 edition, certain foods always came with one coupon which could be used at either Best Buy, Toys "R" Us, or Foot Locker (including online stores). The value of each coupon was random, with Toys R Us coupons ranging from $1 to $5; up to $5 in coupons could be used in a single transaction. In 2008, these coupons were redeemed for up to 25% off any Foot Locker item(s). Since 2009, the promotion has not featured any coupons.

Canadian and US laws require that game pieces be available upon request with no purchase necessary (Alternative Method of Entry, "AMOE"),[14][15] and could traditionally be requested by mailing a handwritten, self-addressed stamped envelope.[16] In the 2025 promotion, McDonald's introduced an online method for obtaining AMOE entries, allowing participants to request entries via e-mail rather than by mail through the official McDonald's AMOE website.[17]

Rare pieces in US/Canada

The rare collectible pieces that dictate the odds of winning are as follows:

In 2013, McDonald's allowed two Boardwalk pieces to be produced; prior to this only one was produced. McDonald's added Golden Avenue and Arches Avenue for 2008 only; obtaining both won $100,000. For 2014 only, McDonald's added Electric Company and Water Works; obtaining both won $10,000. For 2014 only, Free Parking was added, with a $100,000 prize.

Online games

In 2005, McDonald's introduced an online counterpart to its traditional game. In addition to the traditional "sticker" game, participants can play online. Each game piece lists a code which can be entered online, to a maximum of 10 entries per 24 hours, a day starts at midnight EDT. Up to 2014, each code entered grants the user one roll on a virtual Monopoly game board, identical to the board game's board. Rolling "doubles" (two dice sharing the same number), as with the real board game, allows the user to move again.

Landing on Electric Company, Income Tax, Jail/Just Visiting, Go to Jail, Water Works, or Luxury Tax does not count towards any prize. If a player lands on an unowned property (not landed upon by the player in a previous turn), the user will "collect" that property. When all properties of a colored set are collected, the user wins a prize, with prize values similar to those of the sticker game. In addition to collecting property sets, users can also win by landing on certain "instant win" spaces, including Go, Chance, Community Chest, and Free Parking. Landing on Go (but not simply passing it) gives the player a code worth one free hour of WiFi access at participating McDonald's restaurants. Landing on Chance is worth money to spend at Foot Locker. Landing on Community Chest allows the user to be given a code worth 25 My Coke Rewards points. Landing on Free Parking is a prize of a $50 refillable gas card from Shell, or alternatively 25 complimentary apple pies.

In 2007, landing on Community Chest won game downloads.[21]

In 2009, the prizes became two hours of Wi-Fi and a $25 Arch Card for landing on Go, an entry into an online roll for $1,000,000 (annuity) for landing on Chance, 25 My Coke Rewards points for landing on Community Chest, and a $50 refillable Shell gift card for landing on Free Parking.

Restrictions

For all versions of the online game, players are restricted to a set number of online entries per day.[22] In the UK, this is restricted to 24 entries. In the US, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Saipan, the limit is 10.

Players in the UK must be aged 18 years or older.

Note that the official rules state: "The purchase, sale, trading, or barter of Game Pieces, Game Stamps, FREE Codes or Game Codes via Online or live auctions, or any other methods, does not constitute Legitimate Channels and is expressly prohibited."[22] This includes eBay.com, where it is also a violation of that site's lottery policy.