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Kota Kinabalu: Sport and Recreation Clubs here with gaming slot machines, eateries, gyms, badminton halls, conference meeting halls need not closed down if these establishments convert their gambling slot machines section into venues for virtual reality or augmented reality recreation games.

“Considering the rising numbers of shops in the static e-sports games business, these sport and recreation clubs can position themselves better with virtual reality or augmented reality recreation games,” said James Liew, an e-sport ‘athlete,’ saying that foreign players can be attracted to be tourists visiting Sabah for facing challenges against local players.

Another enthusiast e-sports ‘athlete’ Richard Vun urged the Sabah Sport Minister Ginger Phoong to promote transformation of such sport and recreation clubs with ample spaces for virtual reality or augmented reality recreation games.

The popularity of these new cyber reality games is seen at the Iskandar Malaysia’s VRinity Centre of Excellence, Medini Mall, Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

The special opening promotion rates for all the games Malaysians can play until further notice are RM69 for children between 6 to 8 years old, and RM83 for 9 years old and above.

Foreign minors between 6 to 8 years old are charged RM83 and RM98 for 9 years old and above. Hence, the fees can be quite profitable for these sport and recreation clubs with virtual reality or augmented reality recreation games.

There is no reason why local government authority should refuse trading licenses to such transformed sport and recreation clubs after the appeal of the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) for the State Government to reconsider its decision of not issuing trade licences to establishments with slot machines once their current licences expire.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Jaujan Sambakong had said the Sabah Cabinet decided not issue trade licences to establishments with slot machines once their current licences expire.

These sport and recreation clubs with virtual reality or augmented reality recreation games can continue to contribute their profits through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, good and affordable food and beverages, and fitness training facilities for the public, including free dialysis treatment. In the Internet age, online gambling is capturing the market but virtual reality or augmented reality recreation e-sports games are not easily substituted and present employees need not be out of jobs as a “feasible-and-acceptable” solution with prospects of training Sabah’s talents in e-sports that may one day be an international Olympic event.