The Return of the Golden Game
Every year, the return of McDonald’s Monopoly is a highly anticipated event, drawing in millions of fast food lovers who dream of turning their Big Mac meal into a brand-new car, vacation, or even cold hard cash. In 2018, McDonald’s brought back its popular promotional game with even bigger prizes, more ways to win, and a few clever updates that kept players engaged from start to finish.
McDonald’s Monopoly 2018 was a promotional juggernaut in the UK and parts of Europe. Inspired by the classic Monopoly board game, it gave customers the chance to collect game pieces with every eligible food purchase. These stickers could be instant-win prizes or part of a property set needed to claim bigger rewards. For some, it was a fun bonus; for others, it became a full-blown mission to collect every piece on the board.
This article offers a comprehensive guide to McDonald’s Monopoly 2018, including how the game worked, a full list of prizes, how to spot the rare game pieces, strategies to improve your odds, and some behind-the-scenes insight into what made this version stand out from previous years.
How McDonald’s Monopoly 2018 Worked
The Basics of the Game
McDonald’s Monopoly is modeled after the classic board game by Hasbro. Customers received game pieces—either on food packaging or drinks—that corresponded to Monopoly properties. Each sticker had one of three possibilities:
- Instant Win (e.g., free food or other immediate prizes)
- Collect to Win (where you collect a property set to win bigger prizes)
- Online Game Codes (used to enter online draws for additional rewards)
To play, customers would purchase eligible menu items like burgers, fries, or drinks. These came with stickers (usually two or three per item) that could be peeled off to reveal the prize type. Some lucky customers instantly won food, gift cards, or even high-value prizes. Others collected stickers for a chance to complete sets like Mayfair and Park Lane or the rail stations, which could win them everything from shopping vouchers to luxury vacations.
Promotional Timeline
The 2018 edition of McDonald’s Monopoly in the UK launched in March and typically ran for about six weeks. During this time, game stickers were available on select items, and winners had until early May to claim prizes, although prize redemptions and online codes could extend beyond the official end date.
McDonald’s Monopoly 2018 Prizes: What Was Up for Grabs?
The Top-Tier Prizes
McDonald’s always knows how to make a splash with its Monopoly campaigns, and 2018 was no exception. Some of the standout top prizes included:
- £100,000 in cash (available through rare property sets)
- Mini Cooper cars
- £2,000 TUI holiday vouchers
- Xbox One X consoles
- Sky Store vouchers
- NOW TV passes
These life-changing prizes were linked to the most difficult property sets to complete—namely, those with rare pieces like Mayfair or Coventry Street. Most players would end up with nearly every property in a set, only to discover the final piece was virtually impossible to find. This was by design, as McDonald’s printed far fewer of the rare pieces to limit the number of top-tier winners.
Instant Win Prizes
Instant Win stickers were another exciting part of the 2018 promotion. These allowed players to immediately redeem a prize without needing to collect a full set. Some popular Instant Wins in 2018 included:
- Free McDonald’s menu items like apple pies, McFlurries, cheeseburgers, or medium fries
- £5 and £10 off vouchers at brands like JD Sports, Argos, or Boohoo
- Cinema tickets
- Fuel discounts
- Digital codes for entertainment services
These were much more common than the big-ticket items and added immediate value to each meal.
Online Game Prizes
Game pieces with a unique code could be entered on the McDonald’s Monopoly website or mobile app for a chance to win digital prizes. This feature encouraged players to participate more frequently and track their entries. Prizes included tech gadgets, entertainment subscriptions, and daily cash giveaways.
Rare Game Pieces in McDonald’s Monopoly 2018
The Elusive Ones: Hardest Pieces to Find
Every year, McDonald’s releases a few rare game pieces that are nearly impossible to find—and 2018 was no different. These pieces were the “golden tickets” required to complete high-value property sets. The strategy is straightforward: McDonald’s prints millions of stickers, but only a handful of each rare piece.
Here’s a list of some of the rare pieces in 2018:
| Property Set | Rare Piece | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Blue | Mayfair | £100,000 |
| Green | Bond Street | £2,000 TUI Holiday Voucher |
| Yellow | Coventry Street | Mini Cooper |
| Train Stations | Liverpool St. | £500 Cash |
| Orange | Marlborough St. | £1,000 Shopping Spree |
Collecting every piece except the rare one was frustratingly common among players. For example, someone might have Park Lane and expectantly await Mayfair, only to realize it was the rare piece with only a few printed nationwide.
How to Win: Strategies and Tips
Maximizing Your Chances
Winning at McDonald’s Monopoly isn’t just about luck—it also involves strategy. Here are some practical tips that players in 2018 used to increase their chances:
- Buy in Bulk (Smartly): Stick to menu items that come with multiple stickers, like large meals or special menu promotions. This gives you more pieces for your money.
- Trade with Friends: Many people formed online groups or used social media to swap duplicates and complete sets. While rare pieces were too scarce to trade reliably, this method worked well for Instant Wins or more common sets.
- Play Online: Always enter the online codes. Even if you didn’t get a rare piece, the digital draws were another avenue to win great prizes.
- Visit Less Busy McDonald’s Locations: Anecdotally, players claimed some smaller or suburban restaurants had better luck with prize distribution due to having different sticker batches.
- Stay Organized: Use the official game board (available in stores or online) to track your pieces. Staying organized helps avoid missing out on nearly-complete sets.
Controversies and Criticisms
The Rarity Debate
Some critics in 2018 voiced concerns over the extreme rarity of the high-value game pieces. While McDonald’s was transparent about odds and prize numbers, the perception that prizes were “impossible” to win did frustrate some customers.
Environmental Concerns
Another criticism surrounded the waste generated by millions of disposable game pieces. Environmentalists called for a more sustainable approach in future versions of the game, including digital-only options.
Why McDonald’s Monopoly Is So Popular
Despite criticisms, McDonald’s Monopoly continues to be one of the most effective and beloved brand promotions in the UK. In 2018, it successfully combined nostalgia, gamification, and the universal love of free stuff to drive record footfall to restaurants. The game transformed a simple meal into an engaging experience that customers returned for again and again.
The psychological appeal—akin to lottery scratch cards—kept players hooked. That small thrill of peeling back a sticker and potentially winning big was worth coming back for, even if most left with just an apple pie or voucher.
Conclusion
McDonald’s Monopoly 2018 was another standout year in the fast-food giant’s long tradition of gamified promotions. With a wide array of prizes—from free burgers to massive cash rewards—it catered to every kind of player. While the odds of winning big remained slim, the fun of collecting and playing kept millions of customers engaged.
Whether you were hunting Mayfair in hopes of a six-figure windfall, or just enjoyed a free McFlurry on the side, McDonald’s Monopoly 2018 delivered fun, excitement, and a boost in meal-time joy. For collectors and dreamers alike, it was more than just stickers—it was a chance, however small, to strike it lucky.