What it is
Monopoly Go is free to download. You roll dice, build boards, and collect stickers. Dice run out. The game then sells more dice, and timed events make it feel as if waiting means missing out. Partner events pull in other players.
What it costs: dice packs and event offers, often in a rush. What it does not require: any of that, to have played. A saved card is the difference between “out of dice” and a bill.
What to look out for
- Dice bought because an event was about to end.
- Sticker trades used as a reason to spend.
- Several charges in one evening, each one small.
- A partner event with someone they do not know.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Monopoly Go. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Do not put your card details on their device. Not in the App Store, Google Play, the game, or PayPal. If you choose to pay, type the card in yourself for that purchase, then remove it.
- Out of dice means stop. Say that before the first event, not during it.
- Card off the device. In-app purchases off for younger children.
- Do not tie it to a card “so they can finish the album”. The album is the advert.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Games that sell random prizes are getting higher age ratings PEGI told the BBC that paid loot boxes in games children play will usually be rated 16 or 18.
- Top-selling mobile games breaking rules on loot boxes The BBC names Monopoly Go among games that sell random purchases and do not say so clearly in the advert.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "The timer is there to make you hurry. We do not hurry with money. When the dice are gone, you come off the game. My card is not saved on your phone."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.