From FBI Sting to Big Prizes: McDonald’s Monopoly Is Back in 2025

McDonald’s is rebooting its legendary Monopoly promotion in the United States for the first time in ten years, offering customers a chance to win everything from free food to luxury prizes.

But this comeback carries echoes of one of the biggest fast-food scandals in history. First launched in 1987, the Monopoly game became a cultural sensation until an FBI investigation in the late 1990s revealed that millions of dollars in winning pieces had been stolen.

At the center of the scheme was Jerome “Uncle Jerry” Jacobson, a security officer for McDonald’s marketing partner, who smuggled high-value game pieces and sold them to accomplices.

Over a decade, the fraud siphoned more than $20 million in prizes and ended with multiple arrests, shaking consumer trust in the brand.

Despite that dark chapter, Monopoly has remained popular in global markets, and McDonald’s is now betting on nostalgia to boost sales and loyalty in the U.S.

With digital gameplay, app integration, and a new generation of prizes, the chain hopes customers will once again peel, scan, and dream of winning this time without scandal.