When the Parker Brothers released a board game called Monopoly in 1935, the world collectively lost its mind. Named after a market situation characterized by the dominance of a single entity, this new creation became a proper hit with people of all ages. Funnily enough, it also became the source of many people’s knowledge of rudimentary economic terms.

After many appearances in popular culture, movies, video games, and whatnot, it became obvious that the game all about cash will make its way into a gaming niche all about big jackpots – live casino games.

Even though many have proposed to turn the world’s most popular board game into a live casino centerpiece, Hasbro wasn’t willing to give any game provider the chance to collaborate with them. Released in July of 2019, Monopoly Live became an overnight sensation and was widely lauded as one of the best live casino games of the year.

Even though it’s adorned with Monopoly branding, elements from the game, and even a 3D Mr. Monopoly (yes, that’s his official name), Monopoly live is actually a refurbished edition of the widely popular Dream Catcher game. Evolution Gaming clearly knows what’s working and they aren’t afraid to capitalize on the success of their creations.

Make no mistake, however, as Monopoly Live is much more than a lavishly branded clone. The game features cutting-edge graphics that are seamlessly intertwined with the latest wonders of augmented reality (AR). That’s right, there is an AR-generated sitting next to the wheel, and the dealer sometimes even ‘chats’ with him.

Despite this technology being considered as the ultimate tool for creating unparalleled visuals, Monopoly Live utilizes it flawlessly, with a bonus game being played ‘together’ with the almost-lifelike figure of Mr. Monopoly.

Ultimately, we feel like this unique fusion of graphics and functionality is what more games should thrive to achieve, but Monopoly Live has many more elements to its appeal.

Like we’ve mentioned in the previous section, it’s not enough for a live casino to just have Monopoly Live in their roster of games.

Instead, the games are just one aspect of a casino site’s presence.

In order for them to be considered viable options for your gaming needs, they have to embody the following characteristics:

The Basics

Usually, when we describe the inner workings of a live casino game, it’s not such a challenging endeavor. We start off by describing the mechanism at work, with a bit of coverage pertaining to the bonuses, but Monopoly Live is a completely different breed of casino titles.

The game is, by all means, a revolutionary creation, as far as live dealer gaming goes. It’s the first-ever live game to feature a mixture of reality and augmented reality, as well as being the first title to feature a 3D bonus round.

Before Monopoly Live, developers focused exclusively on maximizing the graphical platform they were using beforehand.

However, Monopoly Live required two platforms that are able to work hand in hand in order to create a realistic, but still somewhat ‘dreamy’ experience.

You can see this from many instances where Mr. Monopoly actually interacts with the dealer, creating a humorous atmosphere that makes playing more enjoyable than your average casino title.

It’s not all fun and games, though, as the developers of Monopoly Live managed to ‘squeeze in’ multiple physical RNGs into the mix, making this the first-ever live casino game to feature such a setup.

While multiple virtual RNGs in one game is not a new concept, several physical interactions behind a single game is a feat that was unheard of until Evolution stepped in.

Monopoly Live consists of a wheel that’s spun by a host/dealer in real-time. They are some of the most friendly people we’ve encountered, as they’re always happy to shout out winners, answer questions about the game, and even crack jokes from time to time.

Each round of the game has a timer for placing bets, but sometimes the host can spin the wheel earlier if he/she sees that everyone placed their bets.

The wheel moves using the dealer’s own kinetic energy, but its velocity is negatively impacted by the flapper, which is used to determine where will the wheel stop.

The addition of a flapper is a novelty in live games. Playtech’s Spin a Win has been viciously criticized by players for its lack of a ‘strong’ flapper.

With the omission of this element, players were unable to understand or see how exactly the wheel stops. Evolution Gaming obviously studied the shortcomings of its competitors, so this move was a wise one from their part.

As the camera zooms in, you can actually see the flapper being impeded by the pins, causing the wheel to stop. This allows players to better understand the mechanism, making everything simpler and much more transparent.

1, 2, 5, and 10

Before each spin, you can place your bets on the table section, which is located in the lower parts of the game’s interface. The first step involves selecting the number of chips you want to wager.

Afterward, you have to click on the outcome you perceive will happen. As we’ve said, the wheel is split into 54 segments, 48 of which are 1 (22x), 2 (15x), 5 (7x), and 10 (4x). Evidently, the lower numbers have a much greater likelihood of ending up as the round’s result.

However, this also means that their odds are comparatively lower than the bigger numbers that appear less frequently, hence the higher payout.

To win a bet, you have to correctly guess the result of the round. The amount of money you’ll win is equal to your initial wager multiplied by the number you’ve guessed correctly, PLUS your stake.

For instance: You place a $10 bet on 10 and the host spins the wheel. The result is 10 and you win $110.

2 Rolls, 4 Rolls, and Chance

With values of 1, 2, 5, and 10, things are relatively easy to understand. However, everything gets much trickier with the following segments – chance (2x), 2 rolls (3x), and 4 rolls (1x).

You can bet on these options the same way you do on the other segments, but the outcome is completely different. If the wheel rests on 2 rolls or 4 rolls, you enter a special bonus game where you can potentially win a lot of money.

Mr. Monopoly jumps out of his seat and enters a 3D Monopoly board, where he throws dice that decide your fate, at least for the time being.

Depending on the segment you’ve bet on, you can either win two or four rolls of the dice. As Mr. Monopoly rolls, he will jump onto a number of spots that’s equal to the number the dice landed on.

His landing place determines the multipliers you’re getting, while you can also get cash prizes and extra rolls in this bonus round. The multipliers are randomly assigned to sections of the board and have no correlation to the value on the dice that are rolled.

Example: You bet $10 on 2 rolls and you actually win! You enter the bonus round and the dice are rolled. It’s a 9 and Mr. Monopoly jumps onto a section of the board where he gets you an 11x multiplier.

The next roll nets you a 5 and the little guy wins you a 15x multiplier. As a result, you win $260 plus your stake (two or more multipliers add onto each other instead of multiplying one another).

As for the only segment we haven’t mentioned – chance, things are simple. You don’t have to bet on it, but everyone who has a stake in the round gets a prize, usually a multiplier or a certain amount of cash. The multiplier is used in combination with the winnings in the next round you play in.

Unfortunately, game-specific deposit bonuses are becoming less and less frequent. As far as we’re able to see, there are currently no Canadian live casino sites that offer a bonus that’s reserved specifically for Monopoly Live.

This is the case because not many casinos are willing to create an entire strategy based around a single game. It’s much easier and more fruitful to try and attract players with a jack of all trades promotion.

To solve this issue, you can check out casinos with live casino-specific bonuses, which are tailor-made for Monopoly Live players.

Not only will you be able to play this cutting-edge, AR-powered masterpiece, but you’ll also have ample room to have fun with the funds you’ve just acquired.

Remember to always make sure that the casino you’re playing in is licensed by the Canadian authorities and that there are no active or unresolved complaints about said casino.

Dream Catcher

Obviously, the first game that comes to mind is Dream Catcher. Even though the Monopoly branding is obviously missing, you can see right away that Evolution Gaming used the same basis.

The host spins the wheel, which has to land on one of the following numbers – 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 40. The higher the number, the more money you’ll win if you made the right guess.

At first glance, the obvious difference between Dream Catcher and Monopoly Live is the presence of 20 and 40 on the wheel, which gives you ample opportunities to boost your bankroll.

However, we still prefer Monopoly Live because of its spectacular technology, as well as the presence of chance, 2 rolls, and 4 rolls.

While Dream Catcher also has 2x and 7x multiplier wheel segments, they don’t offer the same amount of excitement as Mr. Monopoly jumping on the board and multiplying your initial winnings.

Monopoly Live is simply more fluid and imaginative, and it’s not because of the branding. The cohesiveness is, simply, off the charts.

Spin a Win

The next game that we would recommend to fans of Monopoly Live is, of course, Playtech’s Spin a Win. Even though some players didn’t like the weaker flapper, it’s not that big of a deal if you’re a fan of Wheel of Fortune-styled games.

The concept is similar to Dream Catcher, more so than other games within the genre. The host spins a wheel and it’s your job to guess which section the wheel will land on. 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 40 are the numbers in play.

What really makes Spin a Win exciting is the fact that you can make side bets, such as whether the number will odd or even. Unlike Evolution’s titles, Spin a Win also allows you to bet directly on the multiplier.

Basically, you’re getting two extra options to bet on. However, we believe that Monopoly Live is still the better option.

Firstly, the hosts have a much better sense of humor and they are much more comfortable when it comes to chatting with players. The other benefit we wish to highlight is the fluidity of the game. AR-powered live gaming can’t be matched.

Until Playtech or someone else comes with something groundbreaking, Monopoly Live stays the best Wheel of Fortune-type game.