A selection of city landmarks jostling for a spot on the new Monopoly Auckland edition needed a bit more than luck to win a spot on the board.
The first edition of the game - which misspelled Karangahape Road as "Karanghape Road" was launched yesterday with more than 20 city landmarks replacing the famous London spots on the original board game.
Game-maker Winning Moves said the selected landmarks - which included the Sky Tower, harbour bridge and Auckland Zoo - were picked after public submissions via Facebook.
But some of the businesses featured on the board also paid to have their brands in the game.
Mission Bay family-owned business KiwiYo, which has a photo on the board, paid about $3,000 for a spot.
Managing director Chantal Janssen said the store was contacted and asked if it wanted to be on the board.
"We've got a sponsor block."
The business could also work with Winning Games in other gaming promotions such as taking part in a real-life Auckland Monopoly game version, Mrs Janssen said.
Winning Games commercial director Reid Herbert said creating the Auckland edition would not have been possible without help from "a couple" of corporate sponsors.
"At the end of the day we are not Hasbro, we are an independent toy company and obviously these exercises are commercial exercises. They do cost money."
He identified the Hilton in Auckland - which was one of the green properties on the board - as one of the major corporate sponsors.
Auckland Hilton would not comment on whether it paid to be on the board.
SkyCity said it did not pay anything to have the Sky Tower placed on the the prized dark blue Mayfair spot. Rainbow's End, which failed to make the cut, said it understood it could be a part of the game only if it paid a sponsor fee.
"We were offered to go on the board but it was a commercial sponsorship package," Rainbow's End chief executive Chris Deere said.
"It didn't seem to be whether we made it on to the board or not. We got approached to be on the board but there was a cost involved so for us, it wasn't about not wanting to be on the board, it was just a commercial decision we made at the time given we had other priorities."
The board also features the New Zealand Herald Community Chest.
The harbour bridge claimed the other dark blue position in the game, while Auckland University and Auckland Zoo made up the other green properties.
Ponsonby Rd and Newmarket also failed to secure spots - drawing disdain from local organisations.
Ashley Church, chief executive of the Newmarket Business Association, poked fun at the game saying "Broadway" would have been easier to spell than Karangahape Rd.
Vivienne Rosenberg of the Ponsonby Business Association was surprised at the end result.
"Given the fact that Ponsonby Rd is Auckland's hippest strip with so many New Zealand fashion designers, restaurants, bars and cafes, I think we should have been included."
Mrs Rosenberg said Ponsonby Rd deserved to sit alongside K Rd, Dominion Rd and Queen St on the board.
"It's one of the oldest roads in Auckland. It's iconic - it starts at the post office and ends at K Rd and it's got all this amazing history."
Monopoly spokesman Andrew Thompson said the Sky Tower not only received the top spot, but also its own Chance Card, giving players the opportunity to "Climb new heights and advance to Sky Tower". The light blue properties highlighted Auckland's connection with the sea and were made up of Devonport, Wynyard Quarter and the Maritime Museum.
Auckland's utilities were localised, with the inclusion of Auckland Water and Electricity Auckland, while the railroads were made up of Akoranga Busway Station, Newmarket Railway Station, Birkenhead Ferry Wharf and Britomart Transport Centre.
Other New Zealand cities may also be in the running to receive their own localised version, Mr Thompson said.
"I will be travelling the country to identify which will be the next cities to have their own Monopoly and we will also be seeking suggestions from the public."
A Sydney version of the game was launched last year and a Perth version two weeks ago.
Monopoly was first sold in 1935. The Auckland edition is will be on sale from November 1.
What's in, what's out
Some of Auckland's bet-known spots, including Rangitoto and One Tree Hill, missed out on a place on the new Monopoly board. Here are the winners - and some of the losers.
Landmarks
• Winners: Sky Tower, Harbour Bridge
• Losers: One Tree Hill obelisk, Bastion Point memorial
Streets
• Winners: Dominion Rd, Karangahape Rd, Queen St
• Losers: Broadway, Ponsonby Rd, Tamaki Drive
Parks and mountains
• Winners: Auckland Domain, Waitakere Ranges
• Losers: Mt Eden, North Head, Cornwall Park
Waterfront and beaches
• Winners: Piha, Mission Bay, Waiheke Island; Devonport, Wynyard Quarter
• Losers: The Viaduct, Rangitoto, Takapuna Beach, Muriwai
Museums and wildlife
• Winners: Auckland Zoo; Stardome, Auckland Museum, Motat; Voyager NZ Maritime Museum;
• Losers: Kelly Tarlton's, Auckland Art Gallery
Sports venues
• Winners: Ellerslie Racecourse, Eden Park, Mt Smart Stadium
• Losers: Vector Arena, Alexandra Park, North Harbour Stadium
