5 facts about Santiago Martin, whose company is the largest electoral bond donor

Santiago Martin is now expanding into online gaming, casinos, and sports betting.

New Delhi:

The Election Commission of India released the electoral bonds data on its official website on Thursday following the directions of the Supreme Court. Notable buyers include Future Gaming and Hospitality, a company associated with Santiago Martin, known as the “Lottery King.”

Data shows that Mr Martin’s company purchased electoral bonds worth more than Rs 1,350 crore through two different companies. This has drawn scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since March 2022.

Here are some facts about Santiago Martin

• Santiago Martin started out as a laborer in Yangon, Myanmar. After returning to India in 1988, he started lottery business in Tamil Nadu and later expanded to Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra and northeastern states. Charitable Trust Website.
• Mr Martin initially focused on managing government lottery schemes in the North East. He later expanded into various industries including construction, real estate, textiles and hospitality. His company, Future Gaming Solutions India Pvt Ltd, obtained membership of the prestigious World Lottery Association under his leadership. Mr. Martin is currently expanding into online gaming, casinos and sports betting.
• Since 2011, Mr. Martin and his companies have been the subject of numerous investigations for alleged failure to pay income taxes, money laundering and fraud. Mr Martin has been under scrutiny from central agencies, including the education and income tax departments. In 2023, the ED had frozen assets worth around Rs 457 crore after allegedly causing a loss of over Rs 900 crore to the Sikkim government through fraudulent lottery sales in Kerala.
• He is also recognized as India’s top individual taxpayer and was awarded the “Best Lottery Professional Award” by PGRI (Public Gambling Research Institute), USA in 2000 and was awarded the Gold Medal for Business Excellence by the Foundation for Excellence in Business Practices, Geneva, 2004 .
• Mr. Martin also holds an honorary doctorate in business administration from York International University, New York, an honorary doctorate from the University Popular in Milan, Italy, and a doctorate in literature from the International Tamil University in Maryland, USA.