Berwick Monopoly fan Michael Elias will pass go for the chance to represent Australia at the World Monopoly Championships in Las Vegas.
Kelly Yates
A MONOPOLY enthusiast could be wheeling and dealing his way to Las Vegas in October to represent Australia at the World Monopoly Championships.
Michael Elias from Berwick is rolling the dice in the hope of winning the upcoming Victorian State Monopoly Championships held at Westfield Southland on Saturday 31 January and being crowned Australian champion.
The 35-year-old told the News he has been perfecting his Monopoly skills for more than 20 years.
The game, which has been dubbed the most popular board game in the world, requires players to acquire wealth through stylised economic activity involving the buying, renting, and trading of properties using play money, as players take turns moving around the board according to the roll of the dice.
The object of Monopoly is to own every piece of property and drive the other players into bankruptcy. Mr Elias said he loved the challenge and social aspects of the board game.
“I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’ll come out on top in the competition,” he said.
Mr Elias said he registered for the competition despite his wife thinking the idea was a little embarrassing.
Competitors must first win the state title to achieve a spot in the Australian Championships on 4 March, which is set to attract hundreds of hopefuls.
The state and national competitions will be timed games that will run for an hour.
The player with the highest amount of cash, assets and number of people they bankrupt will win the tournament.
At the world finals, Monopoly champions from 49 other countries will battle it out to become the ultimate global real estate tycoon and win a cash prize of US$15,140 US.
