After a decade in hiding, McDonald’s Monopoly is strutting back into U.S. restaurants this October, this time armed with fries, phone apps, and a suspiciously shiny Jeep Grand Cherokee. Fans can once again peel soggy fry boxes for a shot at a million dollars—or, more realistically, a free small McFlurry.
The game launches October 6, and this isn’t your grandmother’s Monopoly. Gone is the physical cardboard game board, probably last seen buried under 2004 couch cushions.
Instead, players will now scan their fry grease-covered fingers into the McDonald’s app to keep track of properties. Because nothing says “family fun” like fighting your Wi-Fi while eating a cheeseburger.
Physical game pieces do still exist, appearing on certain food items. That means you can once again buy a large fry, peel off a tiny sticker, and discover you’ve won…another small fry. Truly the circle of fast-food life.
For the more ambitious, prizes include a million American Airlines miles (perfect for flying to airports where you’ll also eat McDonald’s), a Jeep Grand Cherokee (perfect for storing 600 Happy Meals), and, of course, a cool $1 million cash prize. Just enough to cover your fries-for-breakfast habit for the next five years.
This return is no small potatoes for McDonald’s. Sales recently perked up after two rough quarters, thanks partly to promotions tied to a “Minecraft Movie” and some crispy chicken strips. Nothing boosts Wall Street confidence quite like a blocky video game and breaded poultry.
But fans still remember the dark side of McDonald’s Monopoly. In the late ’80s and ’90s, the game was famously rigged in a $20 million scandal involving a security guy named “Uncle Jerry.” He allegedly smuggled winning pieces and handed them off like greasy contraband. The FBI cracked the case in 2001, proving once and for all that crime doesn’t pay—unless it pays in free hash browns.
Still, McDonald’s believes this reboot will also boost its loyalty program. Roughly a quarter of U.S. business already comes from app members, who get discounts, points, and the sweet, sweet knowledge that McDonald’s is studying their 2 a.m. McNugget habits.
CEO Chris Kempczinski said members visit more than twice as much once they join the program. Translation: people are literally willing to share their location data in exchange for a free medium Coke.
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