The shuttered ‘cashless casinos’ in the Chinese island province of Hainan could be making a comeback following a recent court ruling.

About four or five years ago, resort operators on the island of Hainan launched so-called ‘cashless casinos,’ which resembled a standard casino gaming floor except all of the table winnings were paid in credits that could only be redeemed for non-gaming amenities at those same resorts.

The local authorities were quick to crack down on these cashless casinos, despite operator claims that they were part of a government-approved pilot program that would ultimately lead to real-money casinos on Hainan.

In February, the Intermediate People’s Court of Hainan overturned a lower court’s ruling stemming from the cashless casino fiasco that resulted in jail time for four staff members of the Mangrove Tree Resort. The court found that “the facts of the original judgment were unclear and the evidence was insufficient” and sent the case back to the lower court for retrial.