From 1995 to 2001, McDonald’s, the fast-food chain, sponsored promotional games including “Monopoly Games at McDonald’s,” “The Deluxe Monopoly Game,” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” For each of these promotional games, McDonald’s conducted an extensive marketing and advertising campaign through which it represented that all customers had a fair and equal chance to win and it specified the odds of winning. The FBI, however, investigated McDonald’s promotional games based on claims that the game pieces required to win the high-value, “million-dollar” prizes were being diverted to family and friends of personnel who had access to these pieces. Yet throughout the FBI’s investigation, and even after individuals pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to the diversionary practices, McDonald’s continued its advertising practices.

CASE QUESTIONS

1. In addition to the FBI, which consumer protection agency of the federal government would also have legal authority to investigate this matter?

2. What legal actions could the consumer protection agency identified in Question 1 take against McDonald’s?