Just ahead of the Supreme Court's deadline, the Election Commission grace their website with State Bank of India's (SBI) electoral bond details, unraveling the political donations curtain. Data shines a light on the most generous corporate donors and lays bare the political funds' highs and lows, spanning from April 12, 2019, to January 11, 2024. Tops the list, 'Lottery King' Santiago Martin (59) with an astounding 1368 crores in donations. Between October 21, 2020, and January 2024, Future Gaming and Hotels Services snapped up these bonds.
Let's dive into the life of Santiago Martin.
Future Gaming and Hotels Services Pvt. Ltd, facing multiple cases under the Lottery Regulation Act 1998, was established on December 30, 1991. This company, penetrating states like Sikkim, Nagaland, and West Bengal, is a notable lottery ticket seller nationwide. The Enforcement Directorate also filed a charge sheet against them on September 23, 2023.
From Laborer to 'Lottery King': Santiago Martin's Remarkable Journey
The tale of Future Gaming's Santiago Martin chronicles a rise from humble beginnings as a laborer in Myanmar to establishing a lottery empire in India. Overcoming adversity, Martin spun wheels of fortune for the masses and soared his enterprise to new heights. His firm, operating under the brand 'Martin Karnataka' in the south and 'Martin Sikkim Lottery' in the northeast, became synonymous with dreaming big.
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Martin's Laboring Days in Myanmar
As per Martin Charitable Trust's website, Martin initially toiled in Myanmar's Yangon city, sustaining his family with hard-earned money. Returning to India, in 1988 he launched his lottery business in Tamil Nadu and gradually expanded. In Coimbatore, he not only established Martin Lottery Agencies Ltd but also sowed the seeds of a regional phenomenon with the two-digit lottery craze.
Santiago Martin's Business Empire Escalates Beyond Lotteries
In the last decade, Martin's endeavors transcended lotteries. His ventures now include the Martin Homeopathy Medical College and Hospital near Coimbatore, SS Music TV channel, M & C Property Development, Martin Nanthavanam Apartments, and Lima Real Estate Private Limited. Martin's company boasts over a thousand employees across 13 states where lottery is legal, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, and West Bengal.
