Sikkim Lotteries confiscated in Tamil Nadu are fakes, claims Future Gaming

GANGTOK, 11 Jan: While it had come as something of a surprise to the State government, particularly the Lotteries Directorate, that lakhs of rupees worth of Sikkim state lotteries were being allegedly smuggled into Tamil Nadu where they were confiscated, what may be even more surprising is the claim and assertion by the lottery operator here that these were ‘fake’ lotteries.
It is also interesting to note that these so-called Sikkim state lotteries were confiscated in Tamil Nadu where Sikkim lotteries have been banned since the year 2003. This was the incident at Coimbatore, and a couple of days later, another ‘consignment’ was confiscated by the Kerala police at Cochin where Sikkim lotteries has suspended operations since September, 2010 as claimed by Future Gaming, the distributor of Sikkim Lotteries.
A ‘sample’ of the lotteries confiscated by the Coimbatore police last week is being brought to Sikkim to present to the Lotteries Directorate for examination, it is informed. These ‘samples’ are being brought as the Directorate has sought to know details of the incident and to satisfy queries of how such a huge consignment of Sikkim lotteries was being smuggled, informed officials of Future Gaming.
The 17.55 lakh paper lotteries worth Rs. 35.10 lakh were confiscated by the Coimbatore police last week and three persons arrested, while at Cochin 16 lakh lottery tickets were reportedly seized and two persons arrested. These reports were flashed in the national media. Sikkim state paper lotteries are operated by Future Gaming, earlier known as Martin Lotteries and is owned by John Britto, it is informed.
It was informed that the confiscated ‘samples’ have been procured by Future Gaming and are to be presented to the Lotteries Directorate, Sikkim. Officials of the state lotteries directorate will be able to identify them.
Speaking to NOW!, officials of the lottery company insisted that the lotteries confiscated are duplicates.
“You can be sure 200% that these are fake Sikkim state lotteries,” stated Ravi Chandran of Future Gaming.
The company informs that Mr. Britto’s advocate, against whom the Coimbatore police has lodged an FIR in connection with the seizure, had acquired a sample of the confiscated lotteries and on close examination the fakes were exposed.
Not only that, the arrested persons have revealed the name of the man for whom they were working and on whose orders they were transporting the consignment, Mr. Chandran claims.
The police, however, seem to be sticking to John Britto, the owner of Future Gaming, Sikkim, as the main accused.
“John Britto will prove in court that these are fakes,” asserted Mr. Chandran.
The ‘duplicates’, it is alleged, do not carry the signature of the Director, Lotteries Directorate, Sikkim, as all paper lotteries of Sikkim do and moreover, it is also claimed that on the top left hand corner even the name of the State has been misspelled. And while the state run lotteries are printed in security ink, the ‘confiscated’ lotteries seem to be printed in ordinary ink, it is claimed by Mr. Chandran.
Future Gaming, which pays Rs. 2000 per draw per day to the state government as tax, claims that someone is out to defame their company and the Sikkim government.
“It is a conspiracy to defame Sikkim and Future Gaming,” claim officials of Future Gaming.

Future Gaming lodges formal complaint with Directorate, Lotteries
Future Gaming, which operates the Sikkim state paper lotteries, has written to the Director, Lotteries Directorate, bringing to his notice the incident relating to the confiscation of Sikkim lotteries by the Tamil Nadu police. A similar complaint letter is also to be forwarded regarding the similar incident of confiscation at Cochin by Kerala police.
The company claims that it has nothing to do with the matter and further has asked the Lotteries Directorate to find the actual culprits behind the racket aimed at maligning the reputation of Sikkim State Lotteries. The company claims that it will also file a complaint with the Chief Secretary and the DGP as soon as they receive a certified copy of the FIR registered by the Coimbatore police. It is further informed that the lottery operator is also mulling over filing an FIR with the Sikkim Police as the incident has to do with the state run lotteries and also at the same police station where the FIR against them has been lodged.