Macau’s gaming regulator has dismissed the likelihood of the world’s largest casino hub authorizing any cryptocurrency-related gaming operations anytime soon.

On Wednesday, Paulo Martins Chan, director of Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), informed G2E Asia Conference attendees that the regulator had no plans to allow its gaming licensees to transact in cryptocurrencies “in the near future.”

Macau Business quoted Chan (pictured) saying no casinos were currently accepting cryptocurrency payments because “these products have not been officially introduced in Macau.” Chan went on to say that the Macao Monetary Authority (AMCM) “does not encourage” the use of cryptocurrency products, “especially in the gaming sector.”

The use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin to facilitate deals between private individuals isn’t illegal in Macau, but the AMCM recently issued a statement saying a virtual currency was a ‘virtual commodity’ and as such was “neither a legal currency nor a financial instrument.”