MW McDonald's to give away free food and $1 million with its Monopoly game - and analysts say it could lift sales

By Charles Passy

The promotion was a mainstay for the Golden Arches chain in a previous era

The McDonald's Monopoly game returns on Oct. 6 for a limited time.

Ever since McDonald's Corp. relaunched its popular Monopoly game this past Monday, customers have likely been sizing up their odds to win a range of prizes - from free food to $1 million in cash.

But there's likely another question on the minds of investors - namely, what does McDonald's $(MCD)$ stand to gain itself? In particular, could the game, which is being offered for a limited time, lift the company's fourth-quarter numbers?

Most Wall Street analysts are bullish about that prospect.

"I think it will help their sales trends," said Mark Kalinowski, a veteran analyst who tracks the restaurant industry.

Kalinowski is projecting the McDonald's fourth-quarter same-store sales in the U.S. will increase by 4%. He noted that's in marked contrast to the first quarter of 2025, when same-store sales declined by 3.6%.

The Golden Arches version of Monopoly - the classic board game that's now part of the Hasbro Inc. $(HAS)$ portfolio - lets customers earn game pieces with each purchase so they can work their way toward winning certain prizes (some prizes can be won instantly). After making its debut in 1987, the Monopoly game became a mainstay at McDonald's for several years, returning at various points. But its last iteration in the U.S. was in 2016, a version dubbed "Money Monopoly."

The decision to relaunch the game, which is reportedly costing as much as $40 million in terms of advertising alone, comes at a time when McDonald's has faced challenges. Consumers have complained about higher prices for fast food in recent years, especially for a visit to McDonald's. The chain has responded by offering new deals; most notably, it is rolling out $5 and $8 value meals.

But the Monopoly relaunch isn't a savings-driven proposition, despite the opportunity to win prizes. Rather, it's about creating buzz and excitement for the chain - in this case, by tapping into a popular promotion from the past, say analysts.

"Nostalgia seems to be working" as a theme across the consumer landscape, said Eric Gonzalez, an analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets.

But beyond the nostalgia factor, Sara Senatore, an analyst with Bank of America, said it's about grabbing customers' attention. She pointed to a successful promotion McDonald's did earlier this year when it introduced meals themed around "A Minecraft Movie."

"The things that get people in the door aren't necessarily [about] value," said Senatore.

The Monopoly promotion also isn't just about a short-term sales lift, analysts note. The 2025 version of the game requires players to utilize the McDonald's app - and that will likely mean plenty more McDonald's customers will become acquainted with the digital platform. In turn, that could boost the company's fortunes long term, since it can market to those customers through the app beyond the game-playing period.

McDonald's also benefits in other ways by getting customers to use the app, analysts add. For example, it means there could be less need for staffing registers to take orders.

Not that there aren't some risks involved in launching a promotion like Monopoly. Aside from the costs involved, games and contests can leave a company open to possible instances of fraud.

That indeed proved the case with the Monopoly promotion in the past. In fact, a $24 million scam connected to the game became quite a story, as shown in the HBO docuseries, "McMillion$."

McDonald's said it is paying heed to game integrity, and noted the current version of Monopoly has been created with safeguards and security protocols to ensure fairness. The company didn't comment about what kind of sales lift the game could provide.

Some marketing professionals aren't sure the game alone will be enough to boost McDonald's fortunes. Scott Robertson, a veteran marketing executive, is one of them; he said McDonald's should focus heavily on delivering what he thinks customers want right now - namely, a more affordable dining experience.

"Why spend a huge budget on a national contest when you could lower prices across the entire menu and put your marketing muscle behind [that]," Robertson said.

At the same time, Ada Hu, another marketing professional, said the McDonald's Monopoly game isn't just your typical restaurant-chain promotion. It's one that has proven deeply popular over the years - and should be just as popular again.

"It's a cultural moment," Hu said of the game's return. "It reminds customers that McDonald's isn't just selling food - it's selling connection."

-Charles Passy

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October 11, 2025 10:27 ET (14:27 GMT)

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