An erroneous conversion from Euro to Norwegian kroner led to false lottery win notifications for "several thousand" participants in Norway, resulting in significant disappointment and the resignation of Norsk Tipping's CEO.
Norwegian Lottery Mix-Up Leaves Thousands Disappointed After Million-Krone Error
Norwegian Lottery Mix-Up Leaves Thousands Disappointed After Million-Krone Error
A calculation blunder by Norsk Tipping falsely notified thousands of Norwegians about winning life-changing lottery sums, sparking outrage and a CEO resignation.
In a surprising twist that left many in disbelief, Norsk Tipping, Norway's state-owned gambling company, mistakenly informed "several thousand" players that they had won hefty prizes in the Eurojackpot lottery. The error emerged from a faulty conversion of Eurocents to Norwegian kroner, which led to inflated prize amounts being reported. Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen announced her resignation after acknowledging the mistake that left many hoping for financial windfalls.
The miscalculation, attributed to multiplying rather than dividing by 100, resulted in exaggerated winnings being communicated to participants. The exact number of those affected has not been disclosed, but local media confirmed the error impacted thousands across the country. Norsk Tipping receives prize information from Germany in euros and is responsible for converting those amounts into the local currency.
Sagstuen expressed her regret over the incident, acknowledging that many had made plans based on the erroneous notifications. One affected individual, amidst a home renovation project, had thought she’d won 1.2 million kroner (approximately $119,000) but only received a far smaller amount.
An emergency meeting with the Ministry of Culture led to Sagstuen's resignation, having only served as CEO since September 2023 and worked with Norsk Tipping since 2014. She stated her responsibility for the failures and assured that processes would be improved to prevent future errors.
Norwegian Minister of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery, emphasized that such mistakes are unacceptable, particularly given Norsk Tipping's exclusive rights to operate gaming services in the country. The gambling company has been under scrutiny recently, revealing a history of technical problems and multiple serious errors, prompting calls for enhanced operational controls to restore public confidence.
