Macau government has promised not to go easy on Alipay.

Macau Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong told TDM Macau that he considers Alipay’s collaboration with the government beneficial for the development of domestic e-commerce. However, it does not mean that that the authorities will go easy on the Chinese payment service as Leong vowed to monitor its transactions to ensure legal money inflow.

The Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM) confirmed the legality of Alipay use in Macau, through a partnership with a locally authorized institution. Since the launch in July, concerns had emerged over its possible expansion into casinos; but Leong noted that as of now, no casino had been found to be accepting payments made through the service.

This is in line with Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen’s forecast when it ruled out the possibility of casinos’ involvement with Alipay due to “potential legal ramifications.” But when it comes to Alipay’s longer-term implications for the gaming industry, Govertsen is bullish by mass-market customers using it as an alternative or in addition to UnionPay to getting cash.