These would also go down well conventions like Armageddon, used in a futuristic action larp. Like a half-hour or one-hour “alien fighting” larp experience. Could make some money to help repay the guns, while promoting larp.
Personally I favour the premade over the custommade laser tag guns. There are so many things that can go wrong with making your own electronics stuff, not least of all that no-one gets around to doing it. And the premade ones are said to work well outdoors, which is rare. Also, those 360 degree headband detectors seem like a good idea.
But there’s no question of the society being able to afford those guns in the foreseeable future. It would be several $k just to get a small set of them. Individuals buying them and then letting the society use them on a rent-to-buy basis is more possible.
Unless the society could get some sort of grant for them.