The birthday of the world-famous game Monopoly is annually celebrated in March. This is a game that is widely played among people of all ages. Whether you are with friends or family, this is something you should always take into account and Monopoly has shown no signs of slowing down in the past years.
Why did this game manage to conquer the whole world? What are the reasons behind the popularity of the table game? In the following article, we will have a closer look at the main advantages of this game.
Brief History
It is believed that in early March 1933, at the height of the economic and financial crisis in the United States, engineer Charles Darrow invented the game Monopoly. Losing his job, Darrow wanted to feel like a real successful businessman at least for the evening. He made his first Monopoly by hand from pieces of wood, and the chips for the game – from his wife’s bracelet.
The man turned his invention to America’s leading game maker, the Parker Brothers. However, they abandoned the production of Monopoly on an industrial scale, as they found several dozen errors in both the design and the plot.
Darrow decided to make several thousand copies of Monopoly himself. In 1935 he sold them successfully in a department store in Philadelphia. After that, real fame came to him. The game turned out to be so popular that the Parker brothers’ company unconditionally bought it on March 19, 1935, and a year later Monopoly became the most popular game in the country.
Almost 90 years later, Monopoly remains popular all over the world. Hasbro, which has owned the game since 1990, makes over $1.5 billion in sales annually. At the same time, the game effectively managed to establish itself in the online gambling industry, which is surprising. Right now, thanks to Evolution Gaming, the game is offered in a lot of online casinos where you can play monopoly live and win huge prizes. Moreover, it’s worth mentioning that the integration of this game in the casino sector is one of the main reasons why Monopoly does not leave relevance.
Game Bugs
The game is sold in over 100 countries and 50 languages - its gameplay contains flaws that greatly affect the quality and nature of the game.
For example, Monopoly is an almost endless game. This was proved by American students back in 1961. They played one game, which lasted about 5 days. The manufacturer of Monopoly himself indicates that the longest batch lasted 1680 hours, that is, 70 days without a break.
Another disadvantage of Monopoly is that it gets boring very quickly. It becomes easier and easier for the winner to keep winning. Because of this, interest in the party fades very quickly.
Finally, the decisive factor in Monopoly is not the skill and experience of the player, but simple luck when rolling the dice.
Monopoly in World Culture
Despite its shortcomings, Monopoly is still considered a cultural phenomenon and even the property of the United States. For example, this game is mentioned in the work of Ken Kesey One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in the TV series The Sopranos and even in the songs of modern rappers such as Drake, Jay-Z, Eminem.
According to its idea, Monopoly promotes capitalism. It is the game that is officially banned in some socialist countries, for example, in Cuba. Nevertheless, Monopoly was encountered in the USSR, but it was not very popular among the Soviet people: the idea of an endless increase in capital at the expense of others was alien to Soviet people.
Monopoly is sometimes opposed nowadays. For example, during the anti-capitalist protests in London, a large illustration was created that depicted the beggar and hapless Mr Monopoly. Some believe that the famous British artist Banksy was the author of the work.
World Championships in Monopoly
The Monopoly World Championship is held every five years in the gaming capitals of the world. Winners of domestic championships from different countries participate in it. Such competitions were held in Tokyo, Monte Carlo, Toronto, Las Vegas, Macau and other cities.
For the first time, the Monopoly World Championship was held in New York in 1973, and the American Lee Baird became the winner.
As a prize, the winner of Monopoly will receive 20,580 – this is the amount of toy money included in the official version of this game. However, you will have to fight the best players in the world for at least two days.
Wil Monopoly Ever Lose Relevance?
From today’s point of view, Monopoly is deservedly one of the most popular games in the world – there are no questions about it. The game is widely adopted in numerous online casinos and a lot of people play it alongside their friends. Based on the current situation, it is highly unlikely that the game will ever lose its relevance – at least for the next 20 years. The game is funny, helps attract new customers and what’s more, it is an effective way to spend your time wisely with your friends.