Kathmandu, Oct. 18 -- Demand for playing cards tends to rise in Nepal during the festive season, particularly around Dashain and Tihar. The country imports cards from several countries to meet the seasonal demand. While cards are commonly used for entertainment, gambling can lead to substantial financial losses, with millions of rupees changing hands. Imports also account for a considerable outflow of money from Nepal.

In the first two months of the current fiscal year, Nepal imported playing cards worth Rs51.8 million, according to the Department of Customs. The country brought in 1,992,265 packs of cards during the period, generating Rs31.1 million in customs revenue.

During the same period last fiscal year, Nepal imported cards worth...