The Latest Version of Monopoly Doesn't Have Cash, and That's Not a Good Thing

Endless hours of Monopoly are the stuff of childhood memories. Not just my memories of epic games in my neighbor's basement on snowy afternoons, but my kids' more recent experiences too.

Every time their grandparents come to visit, my 6- and 10-year-old pull out a version of the game (we have several, including the 80th Anniversary edition, the New York City edition, and the Classic edition), set up the board, pick their game pieces, and dutifully hand out the money. As they buy properties and hit up their grandparents for "rent," they do the calculations in their heads, make change for each other, and guard their $500 bills like the treasures they are. I actually credit the game with teaching my youngest not only how to count, but also how to do addition and subtraction without a calculator — something that has helped him immensely in school.

So when I made my way through the 2016 Toy Fair earlier this month, I was none too pleased to see the latest version of the game — Monopoly Ultimate Banking — that, get this, has replaced the iconic cash with a mini ATM and pretend bank cards, which are used to keep track of each player's real-estate transactions. That means no more, "I passed go, where's my $200?!" Instead, players will simply scan "Go" and the money will appear in their accounts. Properties will have bar codes on them that players will scan to buy, rent, or mortgage their goods, and "Chance" (now called "Life Events") and "Community Chest" cards will sync with the players' accounts. This means no more ending of the game when someone flips the board out of frustration and the money goes flying. No more sneaking money out of the bank. And no more hidden math lessons.

In an age where Common Core educational standards are teaching kids to do more math in their heads, and US kids' math scores are dropping for the first time in more than a decade, this couldn't have come at a worse time. Yes, the classic version will still be available for sticklers like me, but there really shouldn't be a choice. Kids have an entire future to carry wallets filled with plastic instead of cash. This last bastion of childhood should remain sacred.