Pay to Play
There’s an old saying that, “If you ever want to know the reason for anything, follow the money.”
Published February 7, 2022
A Follow-Up Retrospective to Mr. Monopoly Goes to Kansas City
Dear Kansas City,
I was naive.
For that, I must apologize.
Two weeks ago, Hasbro, Top Trumps USA, and Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas made a joint announcement that an official Kansas City edition of Monopoly would be released this fall. Furthermore, the companies involved were encouraging Kansas Citians to submit their suggestions for what should be included in the game via a dedicated email that they provided. As someone who loves both this city and Monopoly, I was excited.
So excited in fact, that I let my mind wander. How could Kansas City best be summed up in 40 squares? It was just so much fun to think about!
What local landmarks had to make the cut? What would the utilities be? The railroads? The tokens*?! What kind of fun could be had with the Chance and Community Chest cards?
I saw an opportunity to celebrate Kansas City and maybe, just maybe, a medium to inform others of what they might be missing. Just the prospect of that allowed my imagination to get the best of me.
There was no point in time where I took a moment to step back and think about the realities of the announcement. I probably should have. But instead, my mind’s eye ran wild.
Before I knew it, I had pieced together in my mind a layout for the ideal board. And, as you likely know if you are reading this, less than a week ago I published my vision for a Kansas City Monopoly game on this website for anyone willing to take a look.
Isn’t it fun to think about “what if?” or to just take a moment to dream?
Every single time that a Powerball jackpot grows to absurd heights, I go out and buy a ticket. I don’t do this because I think that I have any kind of chance of winning. I buy the ticket because, for me, getting to participate in the conversation of, “If against all odds, I somehow won that money - what would I do with it?” is worth the two dollar price of admission.
It’s probably a foolish ritual. Truth be told, the chances of me winning a life-altering amount of money from any lottery are well, about as good as the chances that Hasbro and Top Trumps USA will release an edition of Monopoly that is truly representative of Kansas City.
I probably should have realized that before I published my version of the game and it made its rounds on the interwebs.
Instead, in my naivete, I got everyone’s hopes up of what this game could be.
And for that Kansas City, I truly am sorry.
When my take on the Kansas City Monopoly board first posted online last Wednesday, I was excited. I was nervous. I was so curious to see what others would think. Where would Kansas Citians agree? Where would they disagree? Did I fail to account for something so painfully obvious that it should have been included?
Much like the lottery ticket, I anticipated the conversation. I had done the exercise of what belonged on the board. Now other locals would hopefully have the chance to do the same.
And that’s what happened. Friends and family engaged with me over the board. Complete strangers entered the conversation. And then, neighborhoods and prominent Kansas City brands reached out to me and entered the conversation.
As the conversation continued, I learned something that quite literally changed the game.
Since the time of the announcement, Top Trumps USA (the company who is creating and distributing the Kansas City Edition of Monopoly for Hasbro Gaming) has been quite busy. They have been making calls and setting up appointments across the city with some of the biggest brands, landmarks, and attractions in town about their inclusion in the game.
In fact, in my conversations, six different Kansas City entities confirmed that Top Trumps USA had either already met with or requested a meeting with their respective marketing departments.
On the surface, it makes sense. One might even assume that Top Trumps is doing their due diligence to learn more about our city. Or, perhaps they have already decided on certain properties and were seeking permissions for names, likenesses, or logos. One might assume that is the nature of these meetings, but one would be wrong.
Three of the aforementioned organizations verified that these were not courtesy calls, they were sales calls. One source, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed that Top Trumps USA had set up a meeting under the guise of discussing the game and then came in with a full-on advertising pitch.
“It seems [the Kansas City Edition of Monopoly] is a ‘pay to play’ advertising opportunity and the price tags are high. We really want to be included and for many KC brands to be on the board but we’re not sure how many can afford it,” my source divulged.
““It seems [the Kansas City Edition of Monopoly] is a ‘pay to play’ advertising opportunity and the price tags are high.”
They went on to describe tiered advertising packages that were presented to them if they wanted to be a part of the game. They were offered their choice of multi-year advertising packages that began at approximately $25,000.00 and neared $70,000.00. My source indicated that it’s very possible that there were even higher priced packages out there. Much like the game of Monopoly itself, Properties, Community Chest cards, Chance cards, and Utilities were all available for a fixed price.
For this specific entity, who is an important part of Kansas City’s identity, it became clear during their meeting that they will not be able to pay for inclusion in the game. “We were disappointed” after meeting with Top Trumps, they told me. Another source at another prominent Kansas City organization told me that, “Top Trumps USA has had advertising conversations with our Marketing Director.”
If you were to figure, based on the packages described to me, for an average package spend of $50,000.00 per entity, for the 28 properties on the board that Hasbro Gaming has opened up to customization, the Kansas City Monopoly board is worth a cool $1.6 million before a single game hits the shelves.
Last week, I remarked on how difficult the original Kansas City Edition of Monopoly from 1995^ was to look at. It looks like the last place car in a NASCAR race. Seriously, just look at it!
It is now painfully obvious why the last Kansas City Edition of Hasbro Gaming’s Monopoly looked the way it did. PHOTO CREDIT - Reddit User TwhiT
Back when this version of Monopoly was released, Kansas City was a very different place. Power & Light District had not yet been conceived. Kansas Speedway was not yet built. In fact, that entire area was nothing but farms as far as the eye could see. Union Station was practically condemned. It is amazing the way this city has grown in less than 30 years! Naively, I figured the old game board was a reflection of those times. For that reason, I had forgiven Hasbro for creating such a tacky board that did not stand the test of time.
Yet, now that I understand the reality of the situation, it now makes sense why the old board is the way it is. These properties were sold to the highest bidder. The irony is not lost on me.
It comes as no surprise that Sprint and Hallmark occupy the royal blue properties on the original board. Not only are they prime properties in the game, but they are the properties that appear on the box’s lid. I am certain that such placement cost a pretty penny. And who better to afford it in 1995 than two of our city’s most prominent national brands? Certainly Hallmark and Sprint paid far more for these spaces than their list price of $350 and $400 respectively. I am not pointing fingers at the brands or blaming them in any way. I am thankful for these companies that are so proud to call our city home. I am simply blaming the process.
I had hoped to spark a conversation when I posted my board but this was never the conversation I imagined having. And the more I waded into those conversational waters, the more frustrated and concerned I became.
I am frustrated that Top Trumps USA, and multiple media outlets, encouraged Kansas Citians to submit their ideas to kansascity@toptrumps.com. It feels like in hindsight that Top Trumps USA dangled prizes in order to entice Kansas City into building them a cold call list. That’s a little frustrating.
I am concerned by the media outlets and local officials who promoted the Kansas City Edition of Monopoly. Is anyone else in Kansas City, beyond Hasbro Gaming and Top Trumps USA, profiting from these advertising opportunities? It is a worthwhile question.
“If you were to figure, based on the packages described to me, for an average package spend of $50,000.00 per entity, for the 28 properties on the board that Hasbro Gaming has opened up to customization, the Kansas City Monopoly board is worth a cool $1.6 million before a single game hits the shelves. ”
To be clear, given how heavily branded the prior board was, it is not surprising that they sell advertising on the board. It does allow for the specialized editions based on cities to make a lot more sense. If that revenue stream is a need, I truly believe there are proper ways this can be done. My concerns about this are three-fold. I am concerned if those advertising opportunities come at the expense of excluding landmarks and organizations that should be involved. I am concerned about the misleading light in which this board has been presented to KC. I am concerned by the alleged bait-and-switch approach by which at least one of these sales meetings was attained.
As was the case with my primary source, I am legitimately concerned that the board that is produced will not be representative of our entire city. The last board certainly wasn’t. When I look at the 1995 game board I see, well, how should I put it? I see a Monopoly board that J.C. Nichols would have been proud of. That should never be the standard.
There are so many brands, landmarks, and neighborhoods that are an iconic part of our city that deserve a fair chance for inclusion in this game. So many of these entities cannot afford to do so or justify the expense.
When the game was first announced, unsurprisingly, one of the most common comments on articles was related to specific barbeque joints that locals wanted to see be part of the board. And it was not just limited to barbeque! Kansas City is such a gastro-tourist destination and locals showed a real desire to highlight the restaurants and food and beverage brands that make our city so great.
After the last two years that the food service industry has had, what local restaurant or micro-producer can really justify a $50,000.00 advertising spend?
Knowing what I know now, I expect Kansas City to be disappointed in Hasbro’s Monopoly board. Given the readership of my Monopoly board piece, I feel somewhat culpable.
And it’s not like restaurants were the only ones. Museums, and tourism in general, have taken a beating during the pandemic. Can you imagine Kansas City without the National World War I Memorial and Museum? How about the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, or the Negro League Baseball Museum? Can you imagine a Monopoly board that is supposed to reflect our city without these places?
And in any time, especially after two years of limited attendance due to pandemic, can you imagine any of these non-profit organizations dropping between $25,000.00 and $70,000.00 on a vanity project like this? Personally, I would hate to see any of them spend a dime on something like this. I hope that every cent that these museums receive goes to pay the salaries of their hardworking staffs, towards facility upkeep, and the maintain and expand upon the invaluable collections that they currently house.
And personally, I abhor the idea of Kansas City Parks and Recreation ponying up the money it would take to include The Paseo Boulevard or Swope Park on the board. Clearly, with my inclusion of those specific properties on my version of the Kansas City Monopoly board, I cannot imagine KC without them. However, I also know that there are a number of better places that amount of money could be invested that would better serve our community. This concern extends to any organization, entity, or property that is taxpayer funded. They should not be spending this kind of money on a 3.75 square inch chunk of fictitious real estate.
My concern is that there are so many small business that make our city so special and non-profit entities that make KC such a wonderful place to live that have no chance of being included in the game. On the other hand, there are those companies and brands for which $25,000.00 is nothing at all. Those brands are just as important to our city. Yet, when I look at the overall landscape of what Kansas Citians would like to see included on the board, I believe that these are the exception more than they are the rule.
I remember one summer in college where I worked at the merchandise store for a minor league baseball team. Many people who bought game programs returned to my store disappointed because the magazine was 90% advertisements and offered very little insight to the team. This edition of Monopoly is beginning to feel like those baseball programs.
With Hasbro and Top Trumps poised to collect approximately a million dollars off the advertising rights to this game, I just do not see how it can hope to represent our entire metro. I am concerned about what parts of the city will be included and which ones will be excluded. I am concerned that this board may whitewash our city. I am concerned that a Kansas City edition of Monopoly may not be a “great thing” or positive after all.
Before I unveiled my own vision for what the board should be, I should have considered these things but you know what they say about hindsight.
This was never the conversation I planned on having but alas, it is the one we are having. And once again, like my own spin on the Monopoly board, it is a conversation that I open up to all of Kansas City.
“I had hoped to spark a conversation when I posted my board but this was never the conversation I imagined having. ”
It is a conversation that I invite Hasbro Gaming and Top Trumps USA to join. I have already reached out to Mayor Quinton Lucas to join this conversation but at the time of publishing, neither him or his office has commented on the Pay-to-Play nature of this Monopoly board. I also reached out to Hasbro Gaming and they have not commented on the pay to play nature of their board either.
If my concerns are unfounded, or somehow the information I have received is incorrect, please, I encourage Hasbro or Top Trumps to reach out to me. I would be happy to connect.
However, I would suspect that as you read this Kansas City, Top Trumps USA is probably cold-calling the next name that they pulled from an emailed “contest entry” or that they are making their sales pitch to a Kansas City marketing department who is just now learning about the steep price tags of game inclusion.
When I first published my board, I looked forward to the conversation and those conversations over the past five days taught me a lot. I now understand why the original Kansas City Edition of Monopoly turned out as atrociously as it did. I now understand why the original board left important parts of this city unrepresented. Money always talks. At this point, I expect nothing but disappointment when the board games hits stores in October.
And given the readership of Mr. Monopoly Goes to Kansas City, I feel culpable in aiding in the disappointment that Kansas City will feel. The realities of what this board is did not occur to me at the time. And for that, Kansas City, I really am sorry.
As my frustrations and concerns mount, and I think about what this game may be, I find myself dreading the release of this game. As much as I abhor the term “Flyover Country”, there is a part of me that is currently wishing that Hasbro and Top Trumps had just flown on over. If my worst fears about this Monopoly board are true, then to Top Trumps USA, I kindly say -
At these prices, who can justify purchasing Boardwalk from Hasbro Gaming and Top Trumps USA?
GO BACK TO RHODE ISLAND.
GO DIRECTLY TO RHODE ISLAND.
DO NOT CROSS THE MISSOURI RIVER.
DO NOT COLLECT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
Sincerely,
Devan
CBO, disKCovery
Those Pesky Endnotes That I Often Insist Upon
*At the time of the initial announcement, I missed the part where Top Trumps USA announced that the corner squares and the tokens would go unchanged. Having already allowed my mind to wander, and it being my board, I ignored those requirements.
^ All sources say that the board game was released in 1995. However, all pictures that I have seen of the board clearly display a “Kansas City Wizards” shield. Kansas City’s soccer team was known as the “Kansas City Wiz” during the 1996 inaugural Major League Soccer season, and the years leading up to the League’s debut. During this time, the shield proudly displayed “WIZ” and had a reverse tear-drop shape. So either, the versions I have seen are re-prints from 1997 or later OR the board game did not come out until at least 1997.
While I trust my sources fully, Top Trumps USA nor the Mayor’s Office responded to my request for comment. The “pay to play” nature of this board was never confirmed by either, but was corroborated by a number of KC brands who were solicited.
