Monopoly will always be a favorite game of mine. The different themes of the game keep it interesting and fun. The biggest problem with Monopoly for us is handling the money. When playing more than two people, those piles of fake money can get in the way. The latest incarnation of the property buying game takes a whole new approach by going paperless, well when it comes to cash that is.

Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition does away with the need of play money by using Monopoly debit cards. Players are issued a card with their starting money instead of the standard play money. When a transaction takes place, players swipe their card to either add or subtract funds from their balance. Properties can now be bought or sold electronically, eliminating the need for all that paper Monopoly money.

I see several advantages to this game. The obvious is that there is less pieces to keep up with. So, for families who inevitably lose game pieces, this can help alleviate that unfortunate circumstance. This can also be a great tool to teach financial responsbility to children since our society is becoming less dependent on cash for purchases and more dependent on debit cards. It use to be that you wrote a check and balanced your checkbook. Now you can make debit card purchases and check your balance online. Banking has changed and so has the way we keep up with our money. This will be a good introduction to the new way of doing business to small children.

The disadvantage to the game is that it does away with the money. There is something about having a wad of cash that makes it hard to spend. So, using the play money can also be an effective tool in teaching the kids how to be responsible with their money.

It's nice to see an old favorite integrate today's practices into their game. The electronic banking will certainly make it easier on the banker and make it hard for players to embezzle from the bank or other players.

Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition retails for $39.99 and is a fun way for people to enjoy Monopoly without having to worry about a lot of the overhead.