The Macau Monetary Authority has, reportedly, further restricted the use of China UnionPay’s cards at casinos, in a bid to curbing illegal money flow.

The regulator has asked jewelry stores and pawnshops operating on casino floors to remove their UnionPay card terminals by July 1, Bloomberg reported.

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“It has come to our knowledge that individual shops in the casinos have received such notification from the Macau Monetary Authority,” gambling company SJM CEO Ambrose So told Bloomberg News.

He said the change won’t affect SJM much, because it doesn’t have any on-premises pawnshops, just watch and jewelry stores.

Experts said that the ban will slow Macau’s casino revenue growth, which increased 20% during the first quarter to $12.8bn.

China has already restricted the use of UnionPay hand-held card swipers within casino resorts as concerns illegal funds are being taken out of the mainland into Macau.

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