Macau considers use of digital currency in casinos

The authorities have been talking with gaming operators about the possibility of introducing digital currency in casinos.

Macau.- The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) has been talking with operators about the possibility to introduce digital currency in casinos.

According to a report by Bloomberg, authorities want to use the e-yuan, the world’s first state-backed cryptocurrency, as an accepted payment method for the purchase of gaming chips.

Chinese authorities have been testing the currency, which is issued and managed by the country’s central bank, in five trial regions, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiong’an, Chengdu, and future Winter Olympics locations.

The digital currency would eventually remove the use of Hong Kong dollars as the currency for casino betting, a move that could strongly impact on the local gaming industry as Beijing would gain more control over capital outflows.

Some operators fear such a move could scare away VIP gamblers due to the lack of discretion about their gambling habits.