WS Game Company set out to make a Monopoly edition entirely in the USA for the country’s 250th birthday. NPR reported on July 12, 2026, that it took more than a year, cost at least twice as much as making it in China, and still needed imported dice.
How it was built
- CEO Jonathan Silva started the project after a seven-figure tariff bill on the games his company imports.
- A former Hasbro factory in Massachusetts prints the board. Pioneer Packaging makes the money tray. Stateline Industries in Liberty, Ind., cast custom metal tokens such as a cowboy hat and an apple pie.
- No USA supplier could produce 10,000 dice, so the company imported them.
- The game retails for $80. Delays meant it missed the first half of the 250th-anniversary selling season.
“We turned over every single leaf trying to find someone who would make 10,000 dice for us in the U.S.”
Jonathan Silva, WS Game Company, to NPR
Why it matters for Made in USA
Because of the imported dice, the game would not meet the FTC’s “all or virtually all” standard for an unqualified Made in USA claim. A qualified claim would fit better. The project also shows why toys are hard to reshore: nearly 80% of toys and games sold in the USA are made in China, where suppliers sit under one roof. Silva told NPR the rest of his line will stay in China.
FAQ
Who made the USA-made Monopoly edition?
WS Game Company, a licensed Monopoly vendor based in Massachusetts.
Why were the dice imported?
The company could not find a USA manufacturer able to make 10,000 dice.
How much more did it cost?
At least twice what it would have cost to make in China, according to CEO Jonathan Silva.
Source & credit
Originally reported by NPR (Scott Horsley), July 12, 2026: “What a Monopoly vendor learned when making things in America”. Additional reporting: Moneywise.