If you've been through the line at your local Rainbow grocery store, you know it's time to play the Monopoly game. The popular sweepstakes is back for its second year in a row at the grocery chain owned by Roundy's Supermarkets.
Customers pick up a gameboard at the store and then depending on how much you spend and what you buy, you get game pieces at the checkout. Match up the right pieces and you could win big. The promotion runs until the end of August.
"People like to play," said Dan Hendrickson, spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau. "They like to have a chance to win things, so it's a way to spice up the shopping experience and let your customers have a little fun."
Hendrickson says shoppers should remember sweepstakes games are like bingo in that everyone is going to get close to winning, but few will actually win.
According to Vivian King, Roundy's Supermarkets spokesperson, the game makes a routine chore like grocery shopping more fun. "It also provides value to our customers," said King. Besides the game piece and chance to win, each piece also comes with a coupon for a product like Bertolli Pasta Sauce or Pillsbury Breakfast Sandwich.
By matching up the correct pieces, you can win big prizes like a dream home valued at $250, 000 or even a cash award. "Those odds depend on a few things like the prize and the number of game pieces," said King. "I do know a woman at the Coon Rapids store has already won an iPhone package valued at $1200."
The odds and official rules are posted at each store and also online. Odds to win the Dream Home with one game pieces are one in 115 million and odds even the five dollar prize is one in 5,750. While those odds might not seem to be in your favor, King says there's a good chance to win something. "Don't discount the game pieces. They are the key to matching up with prizes."
So far this year, Roundy's says they've given away 638 prizes valued at $19,000.
But you shouldn't break the bank to increase your chances of winning.
"It's really just best to go in with "hey-it-might-be-me" kind of attitude," said Hendrickson.
So even if chances are you probably won't win that dream home....it doesn't cost you anything to try. And there's always that chance you might win.
Shannon Slatton, reporting
slatton@twelve.tv
June 20, 2012