JOHN MABRY / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 7:00 pm
I’m a big fan of McDonald’s. Love the fries. Love the Hot Wheels toys. Love the Monopoly game. I have to say, though, I’m starting to wonder about my chances of winning one of those big cash prizes they advertise.
I visited one of my favorite McDonald’s last week, and as I ate, a friendly employee was explaining the game to an older gentleman at a nearby table.
“Basically, it’s just like playing the (board) game,” he said.
True. Aside from the fact you have a better chance of visiting the moon than seeing Boardwalk, Pennsylvania Avenue, Ventnor Avenue, Kentucky Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, Virginia Avenue or Short Line Railroad — and the bonus intake of about 1,000 calories as you play — it is basically just like the board game.
I just haven’t heard the board game referred to as “gambling for kids,” which is how one customer at that McDonald’s described it.
There are instant-win prizes as well as cash awards for completed property sets. Baltic and Mediterranean are worth $50, and it goes all the way up to $1 million for Park Place and Boardwalk and $5 million for the railroads.
Now, don’t get me wrong. You can win. I’m sure I have a free McFlurry ticket under my car seat to prove it.
But I have yet to hear of anyone I know winning cash in this deal.
I am not about to suggest that McDonald’s is involved in another Monopoly scandal like the fraud mess of 2001, when several employees of the marketing firm that ran the contest were busted for hamburglaring the top prizes.
I’m just not sure the McCash is raining down on McPatrons as the TV commercials suggest.
Here are some of the odds:
Free food: 1 in 7.2.
$50: 1 in 156,200.
$1 million: 1 in 458,485,000.
$5 million: 1 in 41,497,391,309.
Chances of them messing up your drive-thru order: 1 in 3 (I kid because I love.)
But to add to my research findings, I bought 20 large orders of fries to see what kind of loot might await a Monopoly high roller.
For those scoring at home, that’s 40 game pieces and 11,400 calories worth of fries for the Journal Star newsroom.
Did we get cash with that, as the ads say? Nope. But we did land two free orders of fries, one free breakfast sandwich and a whole bunch of Baltic Avenue game pieces.
Even nabbed a Park Place. All we need is one little Boardwalk piece. That’s all, and we’re rich.
Show me the McMoney.
Reach John Mabry at 473-7320 or jmabry@journalstar.com.