McDonald's is dusting off its Monopoly contest after a long hiatus, but fans will notice a new twist when the promotion returns on Monday. The days of peeling paper tabs from Big Macs and fries are not entirely gone, but the classic board game tie-in is going digital, Quartz reports. To participate, customers will need to join McDonald's loyalty program and use their phones to scan the familiar tabs—they'll still be found on select menu items—to collect properties and prizes. The physical board to keep track of the pieces will not be returning, CNN reports. Digital pieces will be available for people who order through the chain's app.
The game, which made its debut in 1987, was last offered in the US as "Money Monopoly" in 2016, though McDonald's has continued to run the contest in some international markets, including Canada. As with earlier iterations, the ultimate goal is to collect full sets of properties, which could net lucky players the grand prize of $1 million. Other major prizes this round include a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a family trip to Universal Orlando Resort, a $10,000 Lowe's shopping spree, and a 2026 Winnebago motorhome. Instant-win rewards, ranging from free food to gift cards and experiences like a trip to the World Cup, are also up for grabs. People reports that the total retail value of all the prizes is almost $472 million.
The Monopoly game, which will run until Nov. 23, has been a recurring hit for McDonald's since its debut, though it hasn't been without controversy. In the 1990s, insiders at the company that managed McDonald's promotions rigged the contest, siphoning off millions before the scheme unraveled in 2001. Jerome Jacobson, the ex-cop who was head of security at the company, ran a "sprawling network of mobsters, psychics, strip club owners, convicts, drug traffickers, and even a family of Mormons, who had falsely claimed more than $24 million in cash and prizes," Jeff Maysh wrote at the Daily Beast at the time. The caper eventually became fodder for an HBO documentary.
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