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Money sits right in the heart of the Monopoly board game. It’s also one of the most valuable commodities in Monopoly. Without money, the game loses its purpose. Sadly, we run out of it sometimes. Isn’t that scary?
Remember that Monopoly ends when one player remains with cash. However, since running out of money is inevitable, what happens when players run out of cash? Do you just give up on the game? Are there any alternatives to reduce running out of money in Monopoly?
As you keep reading, you’ll find various measures to take when you run out of cash in Monopoly while learning a thing or two about bankruptcy.
I’ll also try to explain these concepts in the simplest terms possible. What exactly happens when you run out of money in Monopoly? Before we delve in, below are a few facts about bankruptcy in Monopoly.
Quick Facts About Bankruptcy in Monopoly
- When a player goes broke and can’t pay the bank, the bank auctions his properties immediately. All houses or hotels return to the bank.
- When a player goes bankrupt to another player, his properties get transferred immediately to the owed player. However, many houses and hotels are sold to the bank to pay some or most of the debt.
- If the bankrupt player owns a mortgaged property, the new owner must immediately pay 10% to the bank for the transfer.
- If the owed player intends to unmortgage any mortgaged property, he must pay 10% of the value to the bank alongside the 10% first paid at transfer.
- Bankrupt players can not transfer properties to any player they like.
- Bankrupt players can not sell off all properties to the bank if the value amount can’t fully pay their debt to the opposing player.
- Bankrupt players can not mortgage their whole properties to give the owed player a tough time getting their money back.
What Happens If You Run Out of Money in Monopoly?
If you run out of money in Monopoly, you’ve become bankrupt, meaning you can no longer participate in the game. However, what happens to your properties and houses depends on whom you’re indebted to.
If you have enough properties, houses, or hotels, it may be possible to pay your debt.
Another way you can get money to pay off your debts is by making deals with other players. I stressed the importance of buying high-value properties and properties on every color set on the board in Monopoly in this article because of situations like this.
This strategy gives you an edge when dealing with bankruptcy and similar issues. When you own properties that most people on the board need to complete their color set, you have their attention. You also wield the power to sell these properties to the opposing players for any amount you want.
So, when you have these properties in your possession, you can do a deal that completes one of your color sets while keeping the rest for emergency purposes.
Sadly, you can not ascertain that you’ll buy all the properties that would grant you such an advantage. So this can be risky.
However, if you’re ever in this position and own a property that another player wants so badly, making a deal should be your first option before considering selling to the bank or transferring to the player you owe.
Another thing you can do when you run out of money in Monopoly is sell Get Out of Jail Free cards. Whenever you face impending bankruptcy, selling this card can save you. Although the Get Out of Jail Free card may not cost more than $50 if you own two of these cards, you can quickly cash out $100 for both if you can sell them at their highest worth.
Yes, there are measures to redeem yourself when you run out of money in Monopoly. But when you’ve reached the peak of bankruptcy, getting back to the top might be impossible.
Suggested read: Get Out of Jail Free Cards – Everything You Should Know
What Happens When You Go Bankrupt in Monopoly?
Going bankrupt in Monopoly means running out of money without a means to pay back. Although your property’s worth could be more than the debt you owe, when you sell it to the bank, you get paid half its worth.
A practical example would be if you own a property, for instance, Boardwalk (Dark Blue Property), and you’ve built four houses on it. Buying the property costs you $450, and building the four houses costs you $800, making a total of $1,250.
Now, when you sell the houses to the bank, you’ll only get $100 per house, which is $400 for them. And the property you bought for $450 will be mortgaged for $225, totaling $850.
Can you see that the actual worth of your property isn’t what it seems like in the end?
You can go bankrupt even with expensive properties, so checking your finances before buying an expensive or high-value property in Monopoly is crucial.
Unfortunately, when you go bankrupt, you lose all your properties. Who gets your property
depends entirely on who’s debt caused you to go bankrupt. The bank or other players could trigger it. So, let’s consider what happens when either circumstance happens.
Going Bankrupt To The Bank
Monopoly requires that you pay some fees to the bank. Sometimes, it’s Luxury Tax, and other times, it’s Income Tax, yet other times, it could be a Chance or Community Chest card instructing you to do house repairs.
Whatever the case, you must pay the bank what you owe. You can not owe the bank. So when you run out of money, and selling your houses and mortgaging your properties can not pay off your debt, you must surrender all properties to the bank.
The bank may auction your properties to the highest bidder while keeping your houses and hotels.
After the bank auctions your properties, you’re instantly out of the game if two or more players are playing. However, if there’s only one player left, he wins the game. Remember, the last player with money in Monopoly wins the game.
When You Go Bankrupt To Another Player
Aside from going bankrupt to the bank, there are even more painful ways to go bankrupt – going bankrupt to another player.
It is especially heartbreaking when you land on a high-value property owned by an opposing player with plenty of houses or hotel. One time, when I played with my friend Umesi, he landed on a property where he had to pay over $2700. Although that ran down his cash, he had properties that paid him heavy rent. Regardless, I saw his pained expression while counting all that money to pay me. It was a sight to behold.
If, for example, you land on an opposing player’s property, and the rent there is so expensive that all the cash you have at hand can not pay, then you’re in a bit of trouble. However, you can estimate how much money you’d have if you mortgaged all your properties and sold your houses and hotels to the bank.
If you find out the sum of all your properties can not pay your debt in full after your estimation, you may not proceed with the sales because, even after selling and mortgaging your properties, the cash you get can not satisfy the debt incurred.
The player whose debt you’re in can not take the loss. The only logical thing to do is hand over all your properties to the player you owe and sell houses and hotels to the bank. The new owner gets all the proceeds from the sales.
Can You Borrow Money From Bank in Monopoly?
Borrowing money either from the bank or other players is not allowed in Monopoly. The Monopoly game ends when all players except one have gone bankrupt.
The last man standing with money wins the game. So, borrowing either from the bank or other players can ruin the fun of the game and make playing Monopoly extra long.
However, the only way to borrow money in Monopoly is from the bank. Borrowing money from the bank is done by mortgaging your property to the bank while taking a loan you can pay later.
Suggested read: Monopoly Mortgage Rule – Everything Worth Knowing
Also, owing other players rent frequently occurs in most Monopoly games, especially when you play with family. I don’t recommend playing with such house rules as they can make the game tiring. If a player lands on your property, collect your rent. When you land on an opposing player’s property, ensure to pay your rent. If you go against the Monopoly money rules, you could ruin the whole idea of the game.
Can You Borrow Money From Other Players In Monopoly?
No, you can not borrow money from other players because winning the game centers on who has more money. So, allowing borrowing would go against the core idea of the game.
If you ever run out of money in Monopoly and need to borrow, you can mortgage your property to the bank for a quick loan. You can pay the loan back later and at a more convenient time.
There is no limit to how many properties (land) you can mortgage to the bank. Another means of generating money is by selling houses. Sadly, you can not mortgage them to the bank. You can only sell them for half their original value.
Can The Bank Run Out of Money?
The bank never runs out of money. According to the official Monopoly rulebook by Hasbro, the bank has an infinite supply of money. It never runs out of money.
However, there are times when you notice there’s not a single bank note left in the bank. In such a case, Hasbro has instructed that players can print their money or make them out of paper.
But in recent Monopoly editions, it’s impossible to run out of money because Hasbro has increased the number of banknotes in each Monopoly set.
Suggested read: How Much Money Comes In A Monopoly Set?
What Happens if The Bank Runs Out of Money?
The official instruction from Hasbro says if the bank runs out of money in Monopoly, you can make paper money or print your own money.
However, the banks in recent Monopoly models have more banknotes and are less likely to run out of money.
Do You Lose Monopoly If You Have No Money?
A monopoly game ends when all players except one goes bankrupt. However, before the last player, any individual who can not afford to pay his debt to the bank or other players is bankrupt and meets the end of his road. So, yes! If you lose money in Monopoly and can’t pay your debt, you lose.
What Is The Minimum Money In Monopoly?
If you’re asking what the smallest denomination in Monopoly is, it’s $1. However, if you’re asking about the least amount of money you can own, then that’s an entirely different thing.
Sometimes, when I play Monopoly with my friends, it gets to a point where I’ve spent most of my money on properties, buying houses, or paying rent. I might have about $20 to $30 left. Although I’m low on cash, I’ve still not lost until paying my debt to the bank or another player becomes a hassle.
Conclusion
When you run out of money in Monopoly, several things could happen, depending on who makes you bankrupt.
However, if you play your game smartly and make wise financial decisions, there are steps you can take to keep yourself from going bankrupt. And if you run out of money, there are options for you to get back some cash from either the bank or other players.
I hope you find this article helpful. Kindly leave a comment in the box below.
Frequently Asked Questions About Money In Monopoly
Can You Go Broke In Monopoly?
Yes, you can go broke in Monopoly. When you go broke and can’t pay your debt, it’s game over.
Is Hiding Your Money In Monopoly Cheating?
Hiding money in Monopoly is not cheating. You can make it a strategy to keep your opponents from knowing your worth. But it can be stressful when you want to pay for a property or buy a house.
Is Monopoly Money Real?
Monopoly money is Phoney. It’s not real. You can not spend Monopoly money in the real world.
How Do You Lose In Monopoly?
You lose in Monopoly by losing all your money and declaring bankruptcy. Meaning you’re unable to pay your debts.
Can You Get a Loan In Monopoly?
You can not get a loan in Monopoly. You can only mortgage your property to the bank. In return, you get half the value of the mortgaged property.
