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. 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), 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, 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 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. 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 NFL theme. In 2020, in the UK, it was intended to run in the middle of March that year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion was postponed. Instead, the same promotion "Monopoly VIP" was instead run in 2021, with the promotion originally going to run in March but got delayed to August that year. As a result of the promotion being postponed, the stickers for that year's promotion had incorrect dates, as they were originally printed before the delay was made.
Early October 2025 saw their return to the U.S. after a decade-long hiatus.
Gameplay
The promotion mimics the game Monopoly. The game is also advertised with tokens appearing in Sunday newspapers. 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. The 2001 edition was titled "Pick Your Prize!", in which winners could choose which of three ways they wanted their prize awarded (i.e., they could choose gold, diamonds, or $50,000 per year for 20 years).
In 2016, the game changed so that all available prizes were cash, including the $1 million for Park Place and Boardwalk, and was titled "Money Monopoly".
In 2025, when the Monopoly promotion returned to the US, McDonalds largely discontinued the physical collecting aspect of the game and moved it to their own smartphone app, which is mainly used to order McDonalds food outside of the restaurant, restricting it to members of their MyMcDonald's Rewards loyalty program. While physical tokens will still be printed for the game, customers must redeem them in the McDonalds app in order to count in the game. Other food items were moved to be exclusively redeemed in the McDonalds app.
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"), and could traditionally be requested by mailing a handwritten, self-addressed stamped envelope. 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.
Unclaimed prizes Many of the prizes stay unclaimed. For example, in 2018, 25 million instant food prizes were offered in the promotion in the UK. However, only 8 million prizes were claimed overall. Out of 20 Mini Coopers offered, only 6 were claimed.
Rare pieces in US/Canada The rare collectible pieces that dictate the odds of winning are as follows: Property2019 Canadian Name 2026 prize 2025 prize 2019 prize 2018 prize 2017 prize 2016 prize 2014 prize 2013 prize 2012 prize 2011 prize 2010 prize 2009 prizeMediterranean AvenueRideau CanalHilton Resort GetawayAudio-Technica Turntable Bundle2020 Chevrolet EquinoxXbox One Forza Bundle$150,000$50$50$1,000$50Vermont AvenueMackenzie RiverPolaris General XP 1000 Premium, Slingshot S Autodrive or Polaris PatriotPolaris Ranger XP 1000 Northstar, Indian Challenger or Slingshot SLYamaha Wolverine X4 EPSYamaha Family Grizzly ATV Bundle2 Yamaha SnoScoot Snowmobiles & 250 Yamabucks gift cards$1,000Shell fuel for 1 Year$5,000$5,000$100Virginia AvenuePercé Rock$100,0001,000,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles$10,000$2,000$5,000$10,000Beach Resort Vacation$200 Spa CertificateTennessee AvenueTunnels of Moose JawTrip for 4 to Universal Orlando ResortCineplex Premiere Card for winner & guest for 1 Year$5,000Softcard Mobile Wallet Prize + $2,500 for wireless serviceEA Sports Super Bowl XLVIII trip for 2$10,000Beach Resort Vacation$1,000$5,000Kentucky AvenueConfederation BridgeVIP Tour and Trip for 4 to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex$5,000 in Prepaid MasterCard Gift Card$10,000Any Delta Air Lines Vacations Destination for 2$50,000Beaches Resorts Vacation$10,000Ventnor AvenueWhistler2027 Jeep Cherokee2026 Jeep Grand CherokeeCabela's $2,000 Gift CardCabela's Barbeque PackageCabela's Camping Package$25,000Beaches Resorts Vacation$20,000$20,000$100,000$25,000Pennsylvania AvenuePortage and Memorial$500 Circle K Fuel Gift Card$10,000 Lowe's Shopping Spree$2,000 Hudson's Bay Gift Card$50,000Cessna Private Jet Trip2014 Fiat 500L2013 Fiat 500 Sport Hatchback2012 Nissan Leaf or 370z$50,000BoardwalkFairmont Le Château FrontenacCarnival Cruise Line Vacation Package2026 Winnebago View5,000,000 RBC Rewards Points or CAN$50,0002018 Volkswagen Atlas SUV$1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000$1,000,000Short LineVancouver International Airport$100,000Trip for Up to Four to a Monopoly GO! LocationAir Transat trip to Playa del Carmen for 4Air Transat trip to Riviera Maya for 43,000 WestJet Dollars$500$5,000 Target Shopping Experience on Black FridayShell Fuel for 1 YearEA SPORTS Fan Trip Championship Get-A-WayEA SPORTS Trip$500Reading RailroadRoute Transcan HighwayEsso/Mobil $2,600 Gift Card "Petrol for 52 Weeks"Shell "Fuel for a Year"Water Works/Electric CompanyN/A$5,000 Best Buy Shopping SpreeSamsung 77-inch TV from Best Buy
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.
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.
The values of the dice are not random. As stated in the contest rules, one property in each set is "rare", similar to the sticker game. These rare properties are landed on only when the game server "seeds" a winning roll. Winning rolls are seeded at specific times on specific dates, and the first user to roll the dice once a win has been seeded will land on a winning piece. This allows McDonald's to declare the odds of winning certain prizes, a legal requirement for contests in most jurisdictions.