In a bustling Hong Kong commercial district, some internet cafes are shifting beyond serving as gaming hubs for young people looking to spend a few hours hunched over a computer playing video games.Inside one such venue in Mong Kok, gamers can rent one of two private booths for about HK$200 (US$25.52) a night. With a look that can only be described as “emergency bunker”, the metal-walled rooms come equipped with a high-end gaming desktop, a sofa bed, budget-friendly food, and self-service laundry facilities.Customers can even enjoy a hot shower for just HK$9 extra, while a set of disposable hygiene products, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, and slippers, goes for about HK$28.80.Players can register for access with their Hong Kong identity card, an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau or a passport.Besides the private booths, players can also choose other areas in the playing hall, which cost from HK$25.80 to HK$35.80 per hour.But such venues risk falling foul of the law, as internet cafe operators need a hotel or guest house licence to let customers stay overnight.
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