Thousands of Norwegians were mistakenly told they had won up to millions on the lottery in an astonishing error.
According to the state-owned gambling company in Norway, Norsk Tipping, ‘several thousand’ players who won prizes in the Eurojackpot received notifications saying they had won life-changing amounts of money.
While the exact number of people notified is unknown, it was significant enough to lead to Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen’s resignation a day later.
Conversion Error Caused ‘Excessively High’ Prize Distribution
The firm explained an error in conversion from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner contributed to the mistake, causing prize amounts to be excessively high as it was multiplied by 100 instead of being divided by 100.
Norsk Tipping receives the prize amounts from Germany in euros before converting them into Norwegian kroner, but it was confirmed no incorrect payouts were made and all errors were corrected a day later.
The former CEO said in a statement: “I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us. Criticism is justified given the breach of trust.
“To them I can only say: Sorry! But I understand that it is a small consolation.”
Sagstuen revealed a number of people had messaged her saying they were planning to go on holiday, renovate their homes or buy a property with their newfound winnings.
She had worked at Norsk Tipping since 2014 and assumed the role as CEO in September 2023, announcing her decision in an emergency company meeting shortly after the blunder.
Sagstuen will receive six months of severance pay according to Norwegian broadcaster TV2, which is believed to be around $185,00 of her $370,000 annual salary.
Norsk Tipping Scandal Follows Washington Man Who Sued Powerball Last year
Last February, a similar scandal rocked the US lottery world. A Washington DC resident thought he had won a jackpot worth $340 million after Powerball and the DC Lottery published his numbers by mistake.
Powerball said the confusion stemmed from a technical error and John Cheeks sued the lottery on eight separate counts including breach of contract, negligence, infliction of emotional distress and fraud.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
