Between April 12, 2019, and January 24, 2024, Future Gaming and Hotel Services became the focus after donating ₹ 1,368 crore in electoral bonds to political parties; what’s the story read below!
The Election Commission released the electoral bond data from the State Bank of India on 14 March 2024. Coimbatore-based Future Gaming and Hotel Services was the biggest donor of electoral bonds, accounting for Rs. 1368 crore between April 12, 2019, and January 24, 2024.
The sources hinted that the ruling party, BJP, received the highest donation, estimated at around Rs 6,000 crore, followed by the Congress party. However, the data only disclosed the amount each entity or individual donated to the parties. There is no evidence to specify who donated to which party.
Future Gaming and Hotel Services (earlier known as Martin Lottery Agencies Limited) is headed by Santiago Martin, popularly known as Lottery Kings. From labourer to business tycoon, his story is very interesting. Still, he was investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and faced allegations of several crimes in the past multiple times. This raises several doubts and questions about the main agenda behind this donation propaganda.
Controversy Behind Electoral Bond Donation
As the election commission released the data on electoral bond donors, the Enforcement Directorate ED also shared the attachment stating that the firm’s bank account reflects a deposit of only Rs. 411 crore in March 2022. This raises questions about the huge donation of Rs. 1368 crore funded to parties. In September 2024, ED filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Santiago Martin has also been on the ED’s radar. In 2015, the Income Tax Department raided Martin’s premises across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala; after the raid, they accused Martin of financial irregularities and tax evasion. Further, in May 2023, the ED claimed Rs 457 crore on Martin in connection with an alleged case linked to a loss of over Rs 900 crore for the Sikkim government under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Santiago Martin: Man Behind Future Gaming and Hotel Services
Santiago Martin, founding chairman of Martin Group of Companies, also called ‘The Lottery King,’ is the creator of Future Gaming and Hotel Services. Before the lottery journey, Martin struggled as a labourer in Yangon, Myanmar. In 1988, he returned to India and established a lottery business in Tamil Naidu to earn revenue.
According to his website, Martin was only 13 when he started his lottery business, yet he managed to secure the vast marketing network of India’s lottery buyers and sellers. Later, he expanded this business to other locations in Karnataka and Kerala before moving into the northeast to scale revenue. Expanding over the locations of the Southern part, he initially started venturing into government lottery schemes and soon expanded the business into hospitality, textiles, and real estate.
With growing success, Martin stepped in as the President of the All India Federation of Lottery Trade and Allied Industries to bolster India’s lottery trade.
More Claims On Future Gaming and Hotel Services
Despite all controversies, Martin-backed Future Gaming and Hotel Services has grown tremendously as an established lottery distributor. The company claims a workforce of over 1,000 employees across 13 Indian legalised lottery states: Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim, West Bengal, Nagaland, and Sikkim. The company is the sole distributor of a popular lottery named ‘Dear Lottery.’
However, the shadow of controversy also shredded over the growing lottery business, Future Gaming and Hotel Services. It has several legal run-ins; in 2022, the Enforcement Directorate claimed assets worth over ₹409 crore in a money laundering case for Future Gaming & Hotel Services Private Limited and its various sub-distributors. Furthermore, ED claimed that businesses illegally sold lottery ticket proceeds to frame the revenue towards incentives and gifts. Also, the company accounts for illegal claims worth ₹400 crore between 2014 and 2017.
Although Santiago Martin’s prestige and massive success expanded in the lottery market, his severe political scandals and serious allegations & controversies followed him throughout the journey. These raise doubts about electoral bond donation and how it works behind the scenes.
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