The State Bank of India provided the information following the Supreme Court’s indictment, and the Election Commission made the list of organisations that bought electoral bonds to donate to political causes public on Thursday. The organisation Future Gaming and Hotel Services Private Limited, led by Santiago Martin, popularly known as “Lottery King,” contributed the most money.
Dreams and political scandals are intertwined in Santiago Martin’s story, which centres on his transformation from a labourer in Myanmar into the self-proclaimed “Lottery King.” Despite his modest upbringing, Martin became well-known for navigating the complex political landscape of India and using lotteries to sell common people dreams and fortunes. Martin’s company bought electoral bonds totaling Rs 1,368 crore between April 2019 and January 2024, according to information posted on the Election Commission website.
Few names have generated as much controversy and intrigue in South Indian business circles as Martin, who is currently 59 years old. In Coimbatore, he established Martin Lottery Agencies Ltd. in 1988 after leaving Myanmar.The two-digit lottery craze that swept the area during that time is what gave rise to the well-known brand “Lottery Martin” and his company.
After establishing his business in Coimbatore, he moved to Karnataka and Kerala before obtaining licences to conduct business in Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra. The aspirations and hopes of the common people served as the foundation for his empire, which gave him great wealth and power. Martin was initially involved in a political scandal in Kerala, a state where the lottery holds significant psychological and financial power over the populace. Martin gave two crore rupees to CPI(M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani in 2008, when he was already being accused of robbing the Sikkim government of over Rs 4,500 crore.
Since 2019, the company has been under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate for possible violations of PMLA law. May 2023 had seen them conduct raids in Chennai and Coimbatore.
A Central Bureau of Investigation charge sheet alleging the company sold lotteries from the government of Sikkim in Kerala is the basis for the ED probe, according to officials familiar with the case who spoke with HT.
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