McDonald’s is bringing back its classic Monopoly promotion in the US this fall, marking its first return in ten years. The company announced that the game will officially kick off on October 6, 2025, for a limited time.
Customers must be members of McDonald’s loyalty program to participate. Game pieces are available in two ways: physical pieces on select items like large fries, and digital pieces from qualifying app orders. Players can scan and collect these pieces in the app. Completing full property sets unlocks prizes, including: $1 million (1 winner), 1 million American Airlines miles, a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Eligible menu items and official rules are available in the app.
Originally launched in 1987, Monopoly became one of McDonald’s most successful and well-known promotions, but it hasn’t been widely available in the US since 2014. This year, the game has been significantly updated, traditional game boards and paper trackers have been replaced with a fully digital version accessible through the McDonald’s app.
Controversy
Monopoly at McDonald’s, once a fan-favourite promotion, became infamous due to a scam that started in 1989. In 2001, the FBI uncovered a scheme in which several $1 million winners were connected. The investigation led to the arrest of eight individuals who had rigged the game, stealing over $20 million from McDonald’s by manipulating the distribution of high-value pieces.
The ringleader, Jerome “Uncle Jerry” Jacobson, a security officer at Simon Marketing, the firm running the promotion, was charged with multiple counts of mail fraud, CNN reported. He embezzled rare game pieces and reportedly sold them for up to $50,000 each, while accomplices took a share of the winnings.
Why is McDonald bringing back Monopoly after a decade?
The promotion is part of McDonald’s larger effort to boost sales and strengthen its loyalty program, a key element of CEO Chris Kempczinski’s growth strategy, according to reports. During the latest earnings call, Kempczinski shared that loyalty program members visit over twice as often as non-members and contribute to about 25% of the company’s US revenue. Globally, McDonald’s is reportedly targeting 250 million loyalty members by 2027, up from the current 185 million.
In the second quarter of 2025, McDonald’s US sales rose by 2.5%, reversing two consecutive quarters of decline, reports noted. This growth was driven in part by promotions tied to The Minecraft Movie and the launch of new crispy chicken strips.
