Thousands of Norwegians mistakenly told they won millions in lottery
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“Several thousand” people were erroneously notified by state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping that they have won “incorrectly high prizes” at the Eurojackpot draw.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
Thousands of Norwegians thought they had won millions in a lottery, only to find out hours later that it was an error.
“Several thousand” people were erroneously notified by state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping on June 27 that they had won “incorrectly high prizes” at the Eurojackpot draw, the company said.
As a result, the company’s chief executive apologised and resigned the next day.
Norsk Tipping said the error stemmed from the conversion of the prize amounts from Euro cents to Norwegian kroner.
Norwegian media reported that the amounts were multiplied by 100, instead of being divided by 100.
“The error was discovered too late, so several thousand players received incorrect notifications,” Norsk Tipping said in a June 28 media release.
The Guardian reported that the incorrect amounts were initially displayed on the company’s website and mobile app on June 27 but were later removed.
Norsk Tipping said the correct amounts were uploaded on its website and app on the night of June 28. It confirmed that no incorrect payouts were made.
The incident was heavily criticised by customers, gambling regulator Norwegian Lottery Authority and the Norwegian Minister of Culture and Equality.
A couple who were renovating their home told Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) they thought they had won 1.2 million Norwegian kroner (S$152,500), while some people made plans for holidays and big-ticket purchases, only to realise later that they will receive only small amounts.
“I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us,” said Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen.
“I have received many messages from people who made plans for holidays, buying an apartment or renovating before they realised that the amount was wrong. To them, I can only say: Sorry! But I understand that it is a small consolation.”
The gambling company also met senior officials of the Ministry of Culture on June 28 to explain the incident.
Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery told NRK that “such mistakes should not happen”, especially as Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to deliver gaming services in the country.
On June 29, Ms Sagstuen – who had worked in the company since 2014 and been CEO since September 2023 – announced that she was stepping down from her role.
“As a manager, it has been my responsibility to handle the errors that have occurred,” she said in a statement.
