The latest version of Monopoly will drop this summer, featuring for the first time an app-based banker.
In a press release, Hasbro, the company that produces the iconic board game celebrating its 90th year in 2025 said that the Monopoly App Banking Game, which will be released at major retailers in August, "makes banking easy, offers mini games," and eliminates "the need for physical cash and counting."
While not the first version of the game to feature electronic money instead of its famous paper money, it is the first to be missing the role of the banker. The app takes the place of the banker, per Popular Mechanics, with each player needing to have their own phone and being able to manage their own money individually.
The app handles all transactions, dealing with money and properties for the player and automating purchases and rent. Players select a token and a matching bank card and scan it into the mobile app to begin playing.
Other changes include the replacement of the two most expensive properties on the board—Boardwalk and Park Place—with Rocket Launch Pad and Moon.
Cat Bowen, Popular Mechanics Senior Editor said, "I understand that the market is changing and that this is Hasbro's response to the way kids play, but I will admit I’m disappointed that kids who play this version of the game are going to be missing out on the tangible learning that the paper money system provided."
"The old school Monopoly could be played anywhere and anytime, but this new version requires a smartphone and internet connection, which means either the kids need a phone, or they need to use their parents' phone. In a time when parents are increasingly concerned about their kids’ screen time, this feels like a push towards more of that, not less."
