McDonald’s Brings Back Monopoly With Bigger Prizes and a Simpler Digital Game

McDonald’s is bringing back a popular promotion with a simpler mechanic to make every peel feel like another reason to play.

Starting October 6, the fast-food giant will relaunch MONOPOLY at McDonald’s in the U.S.

This gives customers chances to win free food, MyMcDonald’s Rewards points, vacations, vehicles, gift cards, and cash prizes reaching $1 million.

The promo returns with one major change.

Players now have one clear path through the game, peeling physical pieces before scanning them in the McDonald’s App.

The eligible menu spans breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Egg McMuffin, large fries, and large hot and cold drinks.

The moment customers peel their game pieces, they can scan them in the app to redeem prizes, collect properties, or access Chance Card gameplay.

"MONOPOLY at McDonald's is more than just a game," said Alyssa Buetikofer, Senior VP, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer of McDonald’s USA.

"It's about childhood memories, family moments, and surprises that make our day."

This year, we're giving fans even more reasons to play with bigger prizes, more rewards, and a simpler digital game experience that includes the classic peel."

Keeping the physical ritual they have come to love allowed the campaign to create a stronger brand partnership between McDonald’s and the MONOPOLY property.

All while moving the rest of the experience into an owned digital channel.

Four Ways to Win

Fans can peel their game pieces to unlock one of four prize paths, ranging from immediate food rewards to larger prizes requiring more participation.

Instant-win food prizes include:

• McChicken
• Snack Wrap
• McGriddles
• Shakes
• Smoothies
• Fries

Meanwhile, loyalty rewards range from 1,500 to 7,000 MyMcDonald’s Reward Points.

Collect-to-Win players can assemble property combinations for prizes including Carnival Cruise Vacations, a 2027 Jeep Cherokee, and Polaris vehicles.

Chance Card gameplay adds another layer.

Prizes range from gift cards for Grubhub, Ulta Beauty, and Uber Eats to $50,000 toward a home down payment and $50,000 toward college debt paydown.

The experience starts with registration in the McDonald’s App, followed by an eligible purchase and peel.

Customers then scan their game piece in the app to claim prizes, properties, or Chance Card plays.

A bonus Chance Card play is also available for eligible app or Rewards-code purchases through Nov. 1, provided customers register before ordering.

Why the Game Keeps Coming Back

McDonald’s first launched its Monopoly promotion in the U.S. in 1987, making the 2026 return nearly four decades old as a recurring promotional platform.

The concept has since expanded globally.

The core mechanic has always been intact, connecting a familiar game to McDonald’s packaging and giving customers a reason to keep participating.

The fast food chain and Hasbro have continued updating the format with digital gameplay and new prize structures, keeping the promo relevant as customer behavior changes.

The latest rollout is a testament to that. 

For marketers, the structure offers three useful lessons:

• Keep mechanics simple when refreshing a legacy campaign: McDonald’s retains the physical peel while simplifying everything that happens after it, giving customers something familiar without leaving the experience unchanged.
• Give one activation multiple participation paths: Food rewards, loyalty points, collectible properties, and Chance Cards give different customers different reasons to keep engaging.
• Connect promotional play to owned channels: Moving gameplay into the McDonald’s App gives the campaign a direct relationship with the brand’s loyalty ecosystem.

Monopoly has also built an unusually wide audience over time.

Last year, Hasbro said the game had over 1 billion players across 114 countries, giving McDonald’s access to a property with recognition far beyond the restaurant itself.

Our Take: Can A 40-Year Promo Still Feel Fresh?

Apart from the prize pool, what's interesting here is the seamless customer experience this collab has consistently laid out over the years.

We go from bag to peel to phone in a few seconds, and suddenly an ordinary McDonald’s order has another little ritual attached to it.

This physical-to-digital handoff is where the promotion earns its place in 2026, because the packaging creates the moment while the app keeps the customer moving.

It feels almost old-fashioned, peeling a sticker, and something thoroughly modern about immediately pointing your phone at it.

McDonald’s brought Monopoly back, yes, but it's also showing how a promotion with decades of accumulated recognition can still give customers a new reason to be excited.

Looking to create an equally creative campaign for your brand?

Take a look at the top food and beverage marketing agencies in our directory.