How Much Money is a Player Bankrolled with at the Start of Monopoly?

You must be aware of the rules. Do you know how much money each player is given at the start of the game? Most people who play the game don’t even know it, so you can have a look at our post to find out.

Monopoly is one of the most popular American board games out there, and its gameplay and mechanics are centered around the economics of buying and selling properties. The game was derived from another game that was developed by The Landlord’s Game, which was developed by Lizzie Magie in 1903. Over time, it became one of the bestselling board games in America and the world.

Several games were developed on the pattern of Lizzie Magie’s game from 1906 to the 1930s, but Monopoly formally came into existence when Charles Darrow and his wife, Esther Jones, redesigned The Landlord’s Game and started distributing it. Later, the Parker Brothers bough the game rights from Darrow and started marketing it all of the United States, following which the game boomed from 1936 onwards. In 1991, Parker Brothers was acquired by another company called Hasbro, which continues to manufacture and distribute Monopoly all over the world.

How Much Money Do You Start with in Monopoly?

Whether you have played the game before or not, chances are that you might not have gone through the rules and instructions, and would probably rely on a friend or family member having enough knowledge of the game to start playing.

To put your mind at ease, let’s tell you that each Monopoly player is bankrolled with $1,500 at the start of the game. One player is chosen to be the banker, and it is their responsibility to divide the game money into two notes of $500, two notes of $100, two notes of $50, six notes of $20, and five each of $1, $5, and $10. The rest of the money goes to the bank.

If there are less than five players in the game, one player has to be the banker and player. If there are more than five, one player can simply be the banker, or choose to be a banker and auctioneer.

Apart from the cash, the deed cards and properties are possessed by the banker at the start of the game, and they hand them out to the players when they buy or sell something. The banker will also manage salaries, rents, mortgages, and income tax.

Speed Die Edition

The Speed Die was added to Monopoly after 2007 and it allowed players to speed up the game. Along with its many rules, the Speed Die enables each player to have an extra $1,000 from the start of the game. Therefore, each player gets four notes of $500, two notes of $100, two notes of $50, six notes of $20, five notes of $10, five notes of $5, and five notes of $1.

Monopoly UK

If you buy the UK version of Monopoly, the currency is changed to the Pound (GBP), but the amount remains the same. Therefore, each player gets £1,500 and the handout remains the same as well.

Monopoly Empire

If you play Monopoly Empire, each player gets a massive handout of $1,000,000, which are divided into one $500,000 note, four $100,000 notes, and two $50,000 notes.

What is the Endgame in Monopoly?

In Monopoly, the objective of the game is to become the richest player among all the others, while also aiming to leave their competitors with no money. A player can achieve this objective by buying and selling properties, and collecting rent on them. This allows them to accumulate more wealth than other players, thus winning the game.

Apart from the properties, there are also deed cards in the game, which also add several challenges to the game. If you roll the dice and land on a spot that has jail drawn on it, it would put you in jail temporarily. To get yourself released, you will have to draw the “get out of jail free” card. While you are in jail, you can’t carry out any transactions or collect wealth, and this gives your opponents the chance to get ahead and make the game even more challenging and interesting.

How Much Money is in the Bank in Monopoly?

Before 2008, Monopoly board games were produced with $15,140 in cash, which was divided into denominations of $500, $100, $50, $20, $10, $5, and $1. Post 2008, the new versions of Monopoly were developed with $20,580 in cash, and some game enthusiasts call it an ‘inflation adjustment’.

During the game, if the bank itself runs out of money and you are playing with several players, you have the authority to add more cash to the game. This can be done by drawing currency on plain or colored paper and placing it with the bank.

Alternatively, you can hunt game stores and online stores for extra Monopoly money, which can be delivered to you in a few days. However, this won’t be helpful if you are in the middle of a game and require extra money, so you can go with ‘printing your own money’, or halting the game and deciding the winner based on who has more wealth.