Nepal King Discovers Online Blackjack

King Gyanendra, Nepal's 60-year-old monarch, has recently been trying his luck at the online blackjack tables, the Jana Aastha weekly reported Wednesday.

King Gyanendra has been under some stress lately, as he faces the possibility of losing his hereditary crown in the face of public discontent, and what better place to turn for some distraction than online blackjack?

The King of Nepal has already proven himself as somewhat of a gambler – but his luck hasn't been running good so far, with his attempt to revive the era of all-powerful Nepalese kings looking likely to fail after a nationwide revolt. King Gyanendra was recently forced to hand over power to a multi-party government. His allowance was curtailed and the Nepalese parliament has restricted his privileges.

Facing reporting insomnia at night, reports are that the King has been taking his mind off the recent political developments by playing long sessions of online blackjack and poker.

Whether or not King Gyanendra has what it takes to become a professional gambler is still unclear at the moment, but his dedication cannot be questioned with reports coming through that the King has been playing until the early hours of the morning every night. His retainers appear to be the whistle-blowers as Jana Aastha reported that palace employees are unhappy with having to stay awake all night to bring the King coffee and water. There are about 900 employees in the royal palace.

It has been alleged that the King has been the victim of poor advice during his short, 15-month reign. He has authorized enterprises that have cost the state millions of rupees. There have been allegations that the King closed down services of the state-owned telecommunications company to assist his son-in-law's private telephone firm. The premier bank in the country, Nepal Rastra Bank, also stood to lose billions of rupees, after the King tried to borrow money from a shady organization, if reports are to be believed.

Whilst there is a possibility that these reports are nothing more than another political attack on the beleaguered King, if the reports are true, the King wouldn't be the first person to attempt to escape his problems with some late-night gambling. It's looking increasingly apparent that an election will be held in less than a year, which may end the King's rule. For the King's sake, I hope he's winning big!

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