Monopoly replaces play-money with fake credit-cards

Boing Boing highlights this:

The new UK edition of Monopoly dispenses with paper play-money in favor of play-credit-cards with their own card-reader.

Players will instead use a Visa mock debit card to keep track of how much they win or lose.

It is inserted into an electronic machine where the banker taps in cardholders' earnings and payments.

Parker said replacing of cash with plastic showed the game was moving with the times.

Here's a more complete article.
I guess it makes sense. I know lots of people who seldom use cash, even less often write cheques, so why not use credit and/or debit cards in the game.