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Monopoly without money? Parents respond to cashless version of the classic game

With everything available as an app on our phones these days, parents have but one tool to force their kids to spend time with the family, electronics pushed to the side: game night.
/ Source: TODAY

With everything available as an app on our phones these days, parents have but one tool to force their kids to spend time with the family, electronics pushed to the side: game night.

The roster has always been easy to fill with fun games that conceal their educational components: Scrabble is good for vocabulary, Settlers of Catan for strategic thinking and Monopoly for money management. Kids are happily clueless about the games' teaching powers.

Monopoly
Monopoly@mental_floss / Twitter

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But now, one of these trusted allies has turned its back on parents trying to teach their kids how to manage a tight budget: Monopoly has gone cashless and parents can already see their kids' ability to break a $20 bill getting stashed away with the Monopoly money.

Hasbro released the new set, "Ultimate Banking," at Toy Fair 2016 earlier this week. Players will now scan bar codes on a property card to purchase or rent homes, and then they will tap a debit card on a card reader to complete the transaction.

Adults are not thrilled with the new changes.

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"I'm disappointed!" TODAY money expert Jean Chatzky, who spoke about Monopoly's impact on money management skills on the show earlier this month, told TODAY.com.

"What parent hasn't had the experience with a child wanting something, being told no, and the child saying something along the lines of, 'We'll just get more money from the machine'? Children need to understand how money gets into the machine to begin with. "

Chatzky noted that the game still teaches "diversification and planning," but she, along with many other parents, are still skeptical about Monopoly's change.

"I am worried my kids won't even recognize cash!" TODAY.com parenting editor and mother-of-two Rebecca Dube said.

"While I definitely appreciate the convenience of credit cards, it seems like counting up those ones, fives and tens is a good learning experience the next generation will miss out on."

Many Facebook users emphatically agreed. One user commented, "Teaching kids to not pay attention to how much they have, just swipe a card and don't care about the interest Visa will charge you."

"Takes away the fun of flourishing a fistful of notes to entice someone to make a deal that's bad for them," one user jokingly lamented.

Another person worried that this newest change was just be the beginning: "What's next, tap to pay with Android pay?"

Money management wasn't exactly the only skill people are worried that kids will lose: "Goddammit this takes away the best and most evil part of the game," one comment read. "CHEATING! How am I to discreetly steal money from the bank now!?"

Parents may find a silver lining in the new game board, though.

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Dube explained, "On the plus side, no cash means less mess to clean up when your youngest flips the board because older brother just bankrupted him with hotels on Park Place."

Seems like some outcomes are just inevitable.