# Let's Join Up To Win At McDonald's Monopoly Game **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 20, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306 "2004-10-20T23:35:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/1 "2004-10-20T23:35:27Z")
What do you all say to starting a thread up here where we can discuss and trade what McDonald Monopoly pieces we have so at least somebody I know will win something more than a medium fry or value meal. Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/2 "2004-10-20T23:58:48Z")
Well I’ve got Railroads — B & O, Reading Light Blue — Oriental Dark Blue — Park Place Damn Park Place! ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/3 "2004-10-21T00:01:53Z")
I’ve got Railroads: B&O Red: Indiana Ave ---
**Author:** ![Nekosoft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c2a13f/32.png) [@Nekosoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nekosoft)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/4 "2004-10-21T01:19:37Z")
Here’s the ones a person should hold onto: Mediterranean Ave Vermont Avenue Virginia Ave Tennessee Ave Kentucky Ave Ventnor Avenue Pennsylvania Ave Boardwalk Short Line Everything else is easy to find. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/5 "2004-10-21T01:58:02Z")
I have St. James(orange) Connecticut(lt. blue) Reading Railroad Pennsylvania That was just from one visit ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/6 "2004-10-21T13:54:11Z")
So **vanilla** already has one of the hard to find ones??? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/7 "2004-10-21T13:58:20Z")
Pennsylvania Railroad or Pennsylvania Avenue? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/8 "2004-10-21T17:23:33Z")
Pennsylvania Railroad. I’ve got 2 railroads from 1 visit. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/9 "2004-10-21T17:30:30Z")
I’ve been throwing the damn things away. I peel em off the cup, fries thingy or whatever and if it ain’t for some free McD’s goody I toss it. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/10 "2004-10-21T17:35:59Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > I’ve been throwing the damn things away. I peel em off the cup, fries thingy or whatever and if it ain’t for some free McD’s goody I toss it. :eek: Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/11 "2004-10-21T22:30:37Z")
Getting one of the ‘hard to find’ pieces is probably in the one in hundreds of thousands. Why do they offer a million bucks or whatever the big prize is this time? Because NOBODY is going to win it. They might give away a flatscreen tv or something (still more likely to be hit by lightning a few times), but the big prizes are just there to get people to go through the drive-thru one more time thinking they’ll get a new car. The ‘peel and stick’ method is common with the Prize Patrol style lottery giveaways, scratch your winning piece, stick the game piece to the board, try your free key in the car to see if you’ve won, check your local paper for a game card, etc… When you make the customer get involved in whatever little game your company is offering through these “Roll up the edge of the cup” methods you get more customers trying to win while all you have to do is give away a small fry from time to time. Good luck. (watch this thread end up winning someone a car) ---
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/12 "2004-10-21T23:28:06Z")
This morning I got: One Free Soda Who wants it? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/13 "2004-10-21T23:34:46Z")
Ooh, ooh! I like soda! ---
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/14 "2004-10-21T23:37:02Z")
Ok, ill mail to Texas for you. But you’ll have to pay for the stamp. That’ll be 37 cents please. Hey, 37 cents for a free drink, not bad! ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/15 "2004-10-22T03:01:18Z")
I just got States and St. Charles today. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/16 "2004-10-22T03:09:21Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > I’ve been throwing the damn things away. I peel em off the cup, fries thingy or whatever and if it ain’t for some free McD’s goody I toss it. During one of the first few years of the game, there was an incident where a garbage collector found a cup with a winning sticker still on it in the garbage. He won one of the more major prizes, and the person who had thrown the cup away sued to get it back. I’ll have to dig up cites and find out what happened in the end… ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/17 "2004-10-22T12:05:59Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > During one of the first few years of the game, there was an incident where a garbage collector found a cup with a winning sticker still on it in the garbage. He won one of the more major prizes, and the person who had thrown the cup away sued to get it back. I’ll have to dig up cites and find out what happened in the end… What did the guy say? That’s my trash! That garbage collector stole my trash! The thieving garbage collector! And how the hell did the guy know it was **his** cup? This just don’t sound right. Not that I’m saying you’re making it up (even though I happen to know you are a loon :D), but it just don’t sound right. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/18 "2004-10-22T13:03:31Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > What did the guy say? That’s my trash! That garbage collector stole my trash! The thieving garbage collector! And how the hell did the guy know it was **his** cup? This just don’t sound right. Not that I’m saying you’re making it up (even though I happen to know you are a loon :D), but it just don’t sound right. Well as to the last question, I _believe_ that the garbage collector had actually said where he’d gotten the cup. I’ll dig up cites in a few. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/19 "2004-10-22T13:51:59Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > Why do they offer a million bucks or whatever the big prize is this time? Because NOBODY is going to win it. A few years ago you could win a million bucks in the McDonalds Monopoly game if you just paid the guy in charge of the game’s security $50,000. From this [page](http://archives.cnn.com/2001/LAW/08/21/monopoly.arrests/): > [@](#): > > The FBI on Tuesday arrested eight people allegedly involved in a scheme to defraud the McDonald’s Corp. of some $13 million by rigging several of the fast food company’s promotional games since as early as 1995. > … > Ashcroft identified the ringleader of the scam as Jerome P. Jacobson, 58, known as “Uncle Jerry,” a security official with Simon Marketing – the Georgia-based company that McDonald’s hired to run the Monopoly game. > … > Prosecutors alleged that for $1 million pieces, he would charge $50,000 in cash from the “winner,” often money he demanded in advance before giving over the piece. The recruiters also got a cut. Considering all the negative publicity this fraud earned McDonalds, I’m sure they’ve probably cleaned up their act and the current game is legit. But I am a lot more skeptical about these sorts of promotions than I used to be… ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306/20 "2004-10-22T14:17:57Z")
There was an incident when Smarties ran a promotion offering prizes to anyone who could make their name out of the letters inside the cap. As you can imagine the vowels were in extremely short supply. This didn’t bother a Mr Vlk who won a considerable quantity of prizes before Smarties got annoyed with him… goes citehunting… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-join-up-to-win-at-mcdonalds-monopoly-game/270306.md?page=2)