The Piece Needs to Come into Play
McDonald’s creates millions of game pieces and places them on the packaging of different food items. What many people don’t realize is they have to estimate how many food items they will sell, and they don’t want to create too few so they run out of pieces before the end of the game period, so they make too many. While most game pieces are given out to customers, many aren’t, and if the Boardwalk piece happens to be among those which are never given out, then nobody can win the $1 million.
It Needs to be Given to a Customer
Once a piece makes it to a McDonald’s store, that doesn’t mean it will actually make it to a customer. The policy at most McDonald’s is that if packaging falls and hits the ground, it gets thrown away. Again, if this happens to the packaging which holds the Boardwalk piece, nobody can win the grand prize.
The Customer has to Open the Game Piece
The next thing that has to happen is the customer who receives the Boardwalk game piece has to actually open it up and find it. There are many people who don’t even bother to look at the game pieces on their food packaging. In fact, it’s such a problem that McDonald’s puts signs on their trash cans (see photo at the top of this article) during the game each year to remind customers not to throw away their game pieces. There’s a good chance the person who does receive the winning game piece may throw it away without ever looking at it.
The Customer has to Recognize Boardwalk is a Rare Piece
Even if the person opens the piece, they have to recognize Boardwalk is a rare game piece. The vast majority of people who play the game simply open up the game pieces hoping to win a free instant prize and don’t bother with any of the property pieces. If they don’t know that Boardwalk is the rare game piece they need to win, many will simply throw it away.
The Customer also Needs to get Park Place
dIn order to win the $1 million, the person who gets Boardwalk also needs to get Park Place. While this isn’t difficult to do if the person knows they have the rare piece, it may be more difficult if they don’t know it’s rare. Maybe they only visit McDonald’s once a month or rarely, and may never get the other piece needed because they don’t go to but the food there often enough. The Boardwalk piece itself doesn’t win the prize.
In the end, all these factors combined means that most years, McDonald’s doesn’t actually have to give the $1 million prize away. Not only is the piece rare, but a lot of other things need to align correctly for the prize to actually be claimed. The fact is that in all likelihood, nobody is going to walk away with $1 million from the McDonald’s Monopoly game.
For more on Mcdonald’s Monopoly game as well as other Monopoly Games check out these articles.
Last Minute Ways To Find McDonald’s Monopoly Game Pieces
The Financial Benefits of McDonald’s Monopoly Promotion 2016
How To Get Albertsons Monopoly Game Pieces For Free
The fact that the odds are worse than winning the Powerball lottery which offers hundreds of millions for the top prize several times a year should dissuade anyone of thinking they will actually win. You might win a food prize, you’re not going to win $1 million.
I think more people would be interested in the Monopoly game if there were more smaller money prizes instead of a million dollars, as no one really expects to get that one anyway. They could give away 1,000 – $1,000.00 money prizes instead of 1 – $1,000,000.00 prize.
I certainly would be more interested and visit more, and get the larger items that give you stamps.
The reason they do this every year is because if someone wins, they pay the $1,000,000 over time, sending a check of about $50,000 a year. So they get to earn interest on it and the rest is a business write off. The other prizes people get right away so there’s no interest for McDonald’s corp. It’s a money ploy for them, not customers. lol.
Even further the piece could land in the hands of someone who is not qualified such as a mcdonalds worker or their family.
If I did get boardwalk I would go to mcdonalds and keep asking for a medium drink until I get park place. I think park place is usually like on 1/10 items so shouldn’t take long.
I have 3 Park Place stamps, you can get one in a week.
If you get Boardwalk (and don’t feel like looking for Park Place), I will gladly split $1M with you.
My cousin won $100 yesterday from McDonald’s Monopoly. The first time I’ve heard of anyone I know winning any amount of money.
Like anything in life, there are only two outcomes: it happens or it doesn’t. There’s a 50/50 chance to win.
You’re cousin is the first one I have ever heard of to win too.
Yeah… that’s not true.
That’s like saying every MLB player has a .500 batting average on the next at bat: “He hits it or he doesn’t.” Or a blackjack player saying “I’ll either get 21 or I won’t.”
In reality, it always regresses to the mean. (Parkplace example: 1/10 or so)
50/50 chance of winning??? Where did you learn your math? Hopefully that school is shutdown. The article is right. Play the lottery instead. I eat at McD’s for the food. I don’t keep colored pieces, unless I spot a rare piece.
The park place 2014 game piece so if anyone finds boardwalk let’s claim this prize.
My brother claims to have found a boardwalk gamepiece in a trash can hidden in between the buns of 1/8th of a Big Mac at a McDonalds in Wilmington NC when we were on a roadtrip a couple days ago. He reached into the trash to get it right when a woman came up to collect the trash and told him to get a life and stop dumpster diving. My family hates that woman now.
i would of told the women screw off you greedy mouse you want to keep it all to yourself…. slap her too
yeah right
If I saw a “Boardwalk” stamp, I would ignore advice from busy bodies. Grab the stamp, collect the money, and buy a bottle of hand disinfectant and a set of noise cancelling headphones ($5 + $250).
And you would net $999,745.
My brother claims to have found a boardwalk gamepiece in a trash can hidden in between the buns of 1/8th of a Big Mac at a McDonalds in Wilmington NC when we were on a roadtrip a couple days ago. He reached into the trash to get it right when a woman came up to collect the trash and told him to get a life and stop dumpster diving. My family hates that woman now. Also bought a lie detector to tell the difference between my brothers truth and lies.
I have Park Place stamp # 521, need 522, willing to split winnings 50/50 $$$, this could HELP out financially today and future retirement planning, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, let’s make this happen ! deadline for claiming game prize winnings is ending soon ( 10/27/14 ). Let’s make this dream come true.
Hi dave. I have the the 522 stamp! Dead serious!! I have already uploaded it on the playatmcd website….if you are telling the truth, how do we get in contact with each other?
Ugh…this is embarrassing I looked at it and again….I have 521….I apologize for the false alarm!!!
I have park place need broadwalk
About everyone has Park Place. It’s just a teaser.
we also have park place–will split with whomever should come across boardwalk and also be willing to share winnings. Would most definitely help our family of 5 as well.
Well, last SUnday, October 13th, driving back from Albuquerque, I stopped at the McDonalds in TAOS, NM and purchased a couple of drinks. I pulled off the gamepieces while driving and Board Walk was there. I thought cool and placed it on the console meaning to look at it later. In Colorado Springs, my girlfriend cleaned the car from our trip and tossed it not realizing what it was. I have been sickly depressed all this past week. Extremely disappointed.
same I threw it out because I didn’t think I’d ever play sooo upset
there is onlyone boardwalk i doubt anyone has found it
I too am an idiot w park place. I don’t know how I knew 9+4 to post this comment!
Right On
I FOUND THE BOARDWALK PIECE AND THREW IT AWAY BECAUSE I DIDNT UNDERSTAND THE GAME….. Going to go cry now forever…
Hmm .. That’s really nice !
Yeah…you and the other 20 people on here who found it… You do know there is only ONE Boardwalk made. Enough with all these fake sob stories for attention.
No Kidding
need shortline 526 splitting money 50/50 pm if u have itttttt and looking for tennesse anvenue 510 u have it pm me
I found boardwalk yesterday nobody knows but i also have park place. im gonna quit my job tonight and cash in the prize.
I bet!
Everyone is dumb there is only 1 boardwalk and a million park place. Idiots…
I had the boardwalk piece too, but a walker ate it. I tried to split the walker in half with Michonne’s machete but I realized McDonalds hadn’t been opened since the infection started. Some nights I think about life before the infection and how sweet it would’ve been to win 1miilion dollars and to share it with Carl. Gotta go, I hear something…..I hope it’s not the terminus cannibals. Unless they have Park Place.
Need: 501, 504, 508, 510, 512, 516, 520, 522, 526, & 527
Will split the winnings if you have one or more of these.
I have extra stickers: 502, 503, 505, 506, 507, 509, 511, 513, 514, 515, 517, 518,519, 521, 523, 524, 525, & 528
I will give these to anyone if they will split their winnings with me.
you need the same tickets i need.
What if you obtain the prize after 10/28/14?
I have some codes for Coke rewards. Anyone who wants it please email me. I have several so I want more than one person to get it. I aslo have some Hulu codes and Shutterfly.
Hi there! I was wondering if you have any hulu plus codes to give away? Thanks for your time.
I have the park place game piece and since so many people have this piece maybe we should all get to gether and get with the person who has boardwalk and have a party. Iam sure he will not mind because he will be rich and generous.
Time is running out and remember its beter to have good friends then alot of money.
I once actually did collect boardwalk.
No lie.
Only problem?
I never.
NEVER EVER.
Found Park Place.
I still regret being alive to this day.
I have park place we should collaborate
I have park place, if you have boardwalk lets spilt 50/50
I need Kentucky Ave…. Have the other 2. We can split 50/50
I have a park place.
I think I have Kentucky. I’ll have to check my stash at home but I believe I have it! I’ll reply back when I confirm that I do.
Looking for Pensylvania avenue 50/50
I need thes numbers 626 608 616 615 612 620 & 601 and 604 also need board walk I have multiple pieces just need that third one to complete each ones and the fourth rail road ill split winnings
My mom just threw away board walk 3 weeks ago in central IL. She got excited when she saw I had Park Place. I told her Boardwalk was the hard to get piece. I felt so bad for her. She and my Dad went through their vehicle praying she may have dropped it and not put it in the sack she threw away. I called the Mcdonalds they threw it away at, and it was too late. Trash had been picked up twice since she threw it away.
Do anybody has boardwalk cus I have park palace call me at 2247333449
Okay I need
Magenta/ states and virginia ave
Light blue/ Vermont ave
Railroads/ short line
Red/ Kentucky ave
Orange/ Tennessee
If anyone has them we can split 50/50 2175653740
I did pull the boardwalk game piece and o have it to my girl friend and now she can’t find it my girl friend has mental condition that makes it hard for her to remember things what should I do? I can’t just go through her things to find it!
I found a boardwalk piece few years back on my first try and only time on the last day of the contest at mcdonald I asked around if anyone had a park place and everyone told me the same thing that 50 /50 was not good enough it’s all or nothing …mcdonalds do give out the pieces it’s trying to match it up is difficult …time run out on the game and it’s history