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Does Anyone Win Those Grocery Store Monopoly Games?

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — If you shop for groceries, you've likely seen the little green monopoly game cards promising big prizes, including $1 million.

"We play McDonald's Monopoly, and all the Monopolys," one shopper said.

The contest just wrapped up at Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and other grocery stores across the country, and many people are wondering if anyone ever wins big.

So, we went to Albertsons, which oversees the game, and asked them to find us a winner. And they did.

"I started early one morning just putting the pieces on the board, and I did a double take," said Andrew Johnson of Long Beach.

That double take for him and his wife Brenda was worth $5,000.

"That morning, we were like, oh, it would be nice if we won $10, even $5,000 would be great, and then, sure enough, that morning he said 'I think we wonnnn!' " Brenda remembered.

And they beat some very long odds

The odds of winning their prize? 24 million to 1.

The odds of winning a $1 million? 405 million to 1.

In fact, you have a better chance of winning Powerball. Or getting struck by lightning.

Still, Albertsons says "hundreds" of Southern Californians have won a "broad range of prizes."

If no one wins the biggest prizes, a second-chance drawing will be done among valid sweepstakes entries.

For the Johnsons, the money couldn't have come at a better time.

"We were ecstatic. We didn't expect or plan on it; 5,00o bucks is nice. Moving to Texas, that's gonna help with our move," Andrew said.

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