When I was growing up, McDonald’s was one of my favorite places to eat. It just always made me happy, then when they introduced the Monopoly game… it became an addiction. Like the rest of America, I wanted that million-dollar win! But… of course, I’d settle for the Dodge Viper. But, in reality, I just ended up getting free burgers, fries, and drinks.
Little did I know that no one had a chance to win those big money prizes because there was a group of people completely scamming the system by rigging the game.
This is the true story that the HBO docuseries McMillions covers over the course of 6-episodes. It tells that story with interviews from the people involved along with re-enactments of what went down and even actual footage from the investigation that took place. There are some pretty fun and amusing real-life characters in this story that you’ll enjoy. The doc is actually a lot funnier than I’d thought it’d be.
Obviously, no one knew this was happening, not even McDonalds, until the FBI received a tip that an eager agent jumped on board to start looking into. What he found led them on an insane journey as the FBI uncovered an organized crime ring that was rigging the game and choosing who the winners would be.
This story is absolutely fascinating and it unfolds like a great heist film as the FBI is conducting their investigation to figure out who is at the top running the operation. That person goes by the name of Uncle Jerry a.k.a Jerome Jacobson, an ex-cop turned security auditor who discovered a way to rig McDonald’s popular Monopoly game. He scammed the company out of millions of dollars for over the course of a decade before the feds caught on to what he was doing.
The big question is how did this Uncle Jerry guy pull it off!? I don’t know! I only got to watch three of the six episodes of the HBO series! The first three episodes completely hooked me, though, and then left me with a major cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to watch the rest of the series!
The series comes from Unrealistic Ideas, the non-scripted production company launched by Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, and Archie Gips. The doc was directed by James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte.
McMillions airs on HBO on February 3rd and it’s a docuseries that you’re not going to want to miss!
Here’s the synopsis:
This documentary series chronicles the stranger-than-fiction story of an ex-cop turned security auditor who rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game promotion for a decade, stealing millions of dollars and building a vast network of co-conspirators across the U.S. The series draws on exclusive firsthand accounts and archival footage, featuring: the FBI agents who brought down the gaming scam; McDonald’s corporate executives, who were themselves defrauded; the lawyers who tried the case; and the culprits and prizewinners who profited from the complicated scheme, as well as the individuals who were often unwittingly duped into being a part of the ruse.
You can watch the trailer for the McMillions below:
