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The math behind McDonald's Monopoly sweepstakes shows the only properties that really matter
By Business Insider
2 hours ago
McDonald's kicked off its annual Monopoly sweepstakes this week, so of course we are thrilled to devour the stats.
Lottery probabilities are a ton of fun, and Monopoly statistics are even more interesting, so a Monopoly-themed lottery may as well be Christmas for stat geeks.
Here's how it works. Every time you purchase certain items at McDonald's over the next couple weeks — any one of 26 different menu items — you'll get to peel off a game piece comprised of two stamps.
These game stamps can correspond to either an instant prize, or they can correlate to a space on the Monopoly board. For spaces on the Monopoly board, if you get all the properties of a single color — or the Railroads — you win a prize.
So, let's take a look at your odds of winning prizes by buying McDonald's.
The Basics
Before we get into the stats, there are a few basic elements of the game you need to know.
First of all, nobody cares about the online sweepstakes games. This is the last we will mention it, ever, because it's boring. All we care about is the in-store game, where you peel game pieces and win.
Instant Prizes
If you win a prize on McDonald's Monopoly, it is probably going to be a food prize.
There's 1 in 4.45 odds — a 22.5% chance — you win a food prize when you get a McDonald's game piece.
As we mentioned earlier, the odds you win any prize is approximately 1 in 4, a probability of 25%.
So what does this mean? Well, comparing the two probabilities, 89.9% of the prizes will be food prizes. Hope you're hungry.
In fact, 4 out of every 11 prizes allocated will be a medium fries.
So let's look at the potential food prizes:
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So here are the only game pieces that are actually very valuable. Don't trade these away:
Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/math-behind-mcdonalds-monopoly-sweepstakes-205700562.html
***I cut out a lot of the article but it's an interesting read if you want to check it out. In no way am I advocating the purchase or consumption of McDonald's food in any way.
By Business Insider
2 hours ago
McDonald's kicked off its annual Monopoly sweepstakes this week, so of course we are thrilled to devour the stats.
Lottery probabilities are a ton of fun, and Monopoly statistics are even more interesting, so a Monopoly-themed lottery may as well be Christmas for stat geeks.
Here's how it works. Every time you purchase certain items at McDonald's over the next couple weeks — any one of 26 different menu items — you'll get to peel off a game piece comprised of two stamps.
These game stamps can correspond to either an instant prize, or they can correlate to a space on the Monopoly board. For spaces on the Monopoly board, if you get all the properties of a single color — or the Railroads — you win a prize.
So, let's take a look at your odds of winning prizes by buying McDonald's.
The Basics
Before we get into the stats, there are a few basic elements of the game you need to know.
First of all, nobody cares about the online sweepstakes games. This is the last we will mention it, ever, because it's boring. All we care about is the in-store game, where you peel game pieces and win.
- There are approximately 602,490,060 game pieces in play.
- This means that there are 1.2 billion game stamps, or individual attempts at victory.
- There are 135,540,995 food prizes
- There are 15,838,729 instant win prizes.
- The odds of winning a prize at the in-store game are 1 in 4, or a 25% probability.
Instant Prizes
If you win a prize on McDonald's Monopoly, it is probably going to be a food prize.
There's 1 in 4.45 odds — a 22.5% chance — you win a food prize when you get a McDonald's game piece.
As we mentioned earlier, the odds you win any prize is approximately 1 in 4, a probability of 25%.
So what does this mean? Well, comparing the two probabilities, 89.9% of the prizes will be food prizes. Hope you're hungry.
In fact, 4 out of every 11 prizes allocated will be a medium fries.
So let's look at the potential food prizes:
- Medium Fries ($1.75) — Odds 1 in 9, or 11.1% chance you win.
- Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese ($3.60) — Odds 1 in 44, or 2.3% chance you win.
- Small McCafe or Smoothie ($2.40) — Odds 1 in 44, or 2.3% chance you win.
- McFlurry ($2.55) — Odds 1 in 44, or 2.3% chance you win.
- Breakfast Sandwich ($2.65) — Odds 1 in 22, or 4.6% chance you win
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So here are the only game pieces that are actually very valuable. Don't trade these away:
- BROWN: Mediterranean Ave, odds 1 in 30 million wins $1,000.
- LIGHT BLUE: Vermont Ave, odds 1 in 40 million, wins $5,000.
- PINK: Virginia Ave, odds 1 in 200 million, wins $10,000
- ORANGE: Tennessee Ave, odds 1 in 602 million, wins Super Bowl tickets.
- RED: Kentucky Ave, odds 1 in 15 million, wins one of 40 plane tickets for two.
- YELLOW: Ventnor Ave, odds 1 in 300 million, wins $20,000
- GREEN: Pennsylvania Ave, odds 1 in 40 million, wins one of 15 Fiat cars.
- BLUE: Boardwalk, 1 in 602 million, wins $1,000,000 in $50,000 annual payments.
- RAILROADS: Short Line railroad, 1 in 150 million, wins a year's supply of gas.
Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/math-behind-mcdonalds-monopoly-sweepstakes-205700562.html
***I cut out a lot of the article but it's an interesting read if you want to check it out. In no way am I advocating the purchase or consumption of McDonald's food in any way.
