Future Gaming, headquartered in Coimbatore, stands out as the leading contributor with a remarkable donation of Rs 1,368 crore via Electoral Bonds. Registered under the banner of Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt. Ltd., the company was established in 1991 by Santiago Martin, renowned as India’s Lottery King.
The Electoral Commission has disclosed data on electoral bond contributions, shedding light on prominent donors to political parties. Martin’s foray into the lottery business began at the age of 13, as documented on Future’s website. Building an extensive network of lottery buyers and sellers nationwide, he established subsidiary operations such as Martin Karnataka in the south and Martin Sikkim Lottery in the North-East.
With a workforce exceeding 1,000 employees across 13 states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, and West Bengal, Future Gaming holds a significant presence.
However, the company’s operations have not been devoid of scrutiny. In October 2023, the Income Tax Department conducted raids on four locations associated with Martin and Future Gaming under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. It was uncovered that Martin and his associates had illicitly accrued profits totaling approximately Rs 910 crore by inflating prize-winning ticket claims during the period of 2009-10.
Furthermore, in April 2022, the Enforcement Directorate implicated Future Gaming and its individual lottery ticket distributors for unlawfully retaining unsold lottery tickets and inflating their prices. The ED’s investigation revealed that proceeds from lottery ticket sales were diverted towards gifts and incentives, with the company making illicit claims amounting to around Rs 400 crore between 2014 and 2017.
