1.
SV Player throws dice on to board (2 shots)
0.03

2.
SV Onlookers
0.05

3.
SCU Player counts dollars
0.06

4.
CU Spectator
0.08

5.
SV & Cu Game in progress (7 shots)
0.16

6.
CU Don Lifton
0.18

7.
SV Players around table
0.21

8.
CU Brian Nuttall
0.22

9.
CU Lee Byer
0.26

10.
CU Don Lifton
0.27

11.
SV & CU Game in progress (5 shots)
0.37

12.
SV & CU Dollars in "bank" (2 shots)
0.40

13.
CU Player counting money
0.43

14.
CU Don Lifton
0.46

15.
CU Brian Nuttall
0.51

16.
SCU Spectator
0.54

17.
CU Player counting money
1.00



Initials BB/1615 TM/TB/BB/1643



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A pastime for literally millions of followers -- the game of Monopoly -- is soon to get more or less official status, in the form of the first annual World Monopoly Championship.

A training session for the event -- to be held in New York state -- was recently held in, appropriately enough, a New York bank. An added feature was the presence of 15,00 real United States dollar bills, instead of the usual fake Monopoly paper money.

At Championship level, the game is subjected to all the dedication and skill of a chess match. The competitors were the British singles Monopoly Champion, Brian Nuttall; the United States Western Regional Champion, Lee Byer; the holder of the U.S. Mid-West title, Don Lifton; and the man with the key to the safe, Russell Smith, Chairman of the Board of the Manhattan Bank for Savings.

After 40 years, Monopoly is still one of the would's most popular games, among both the rich and the not-so-rich.

SYNOPSIS: The game of Monopoly -- a pastime for literally millions of followers -- will soon get more-or-less official status in the form of the first annual World Monopoly Championship. A training session was recently held, appropriately enough, in a New York bank.

The competitors included the British singles Champion Brian Nuttall; the United States Western Champion, Lee Byer; the U. S. Mid-West Champion, Don Lifton; and the Chairman of the Board of the Manhattan Savings Bank.

An added feature was the presence of 15,00 real United States dollar instead of the usual fake Monopoly paper money.

After forty years, Monopoly remains one of the world's most popular games -- among both the rich and the not-so-rich.