U.S. patent number US 2026082 A was issued to Charles Darrow on December 31, 1935, for the game board design and was assigned to Parker Brothers Inc. The original version of the game in this format was based on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Monopoly started as a homemade diversion tailored to the local geography by players in different states. When Parker Brothers purchased the rights to the game in 935, the company was presented with the Atlantic City locale  and it stuck.