A group of US Burger King franchisees is suing McDonald’s, claiming the fast-food leader hurt their bottom lines by running a rigged promotional game in the 1990s.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of the owners of nearly 7,000 Burger King restaurants, claims McDonald’s fixed Monopoly promotion “had the effect of diverting business away from Burger King restaurants.”
In 2001, it was revealed that two McDonald’s promotional games were rigged by employees of a company contracted to run the contest. Although it paid millions in new contest funds and settlements, the plaintiffs say McDonald’s benefited from the rigged contest by an increase in profits at the expense of the Burger King franchisees.
