World Monopoly Championship Crowns a Winner

Playing Monopoly can be fun, but imagine how much more exciting the game would be if all that colorful money were real! Turns out, it is, but only if you're competing in the World Monopoly Championship.

According to a story on MSNBC.com, the World Monopoly Championship concluded Oct. 22nd. Nineteen-year-old Norwegian student, Bjorn Halvard, took the title, winning $20,580, the total amount of money in every Monopoly game's bank.

This particular World Monopoly Championship was held at Caesar's Palace hotel and casino in Las Vegas. The two-day competition began on Wednesday, Oct.21st. Even though the tournament's competitors traveled from 41 different countries, the games were conducted in English using translators when necessary. And while the championship has been a tradition for several years now, it's only held periodically: the last World Monopoly Championship took place in Tokyo in 2004.

Among Halvard's toughest competitors was Rick Marinaccio, a 26-year-old corporate lawyer from Buffalo, NY. Marinaccio aimed to become the first American to win the World Monopoly Championship since 1974, and even though he made it to the finals, Halvard ultimately came out on top.

Turns out spending your days playing board games can be lucrative after all.

Photo courtesy of Horst Frank via Wikimedia Commons.