Miscommunication Leads to Lottery Mix-Up for Thousands in Norway

Norsk Tipping faced backlash after thousands of lottery participants received incorrect notifications about winnings due to a Euro-to-krona conversion mistake. CEO Tonje Sagstuen resigned following the incident while the company promised improvements.

Thousands of Norwegians were left in disbelief when they received notifications claiming they had won incredible sums in the Eurojackpot, only to find out it was a mistake. The state-owned gambling company, Norsk Tipping, informed "several thousand" winners of their impressive gains, which turned out to be far higher than they should have been.

The error stemmed from a faulty conversion from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner, where amounts were incorrectly multiplied by 100 instead of being divided. This glitch resulted in exaggerated winning notifications that left individuals in joyous disbelief until they discovered the truth. The CEO of Norsk Tipping, Tonje Sagstuen, offered her apology but took responsibility, resigning only a day later after the blunder was revealed.

The prize amounts, relayed from Germany in euros to Norwegian kroner by the company, were corrected late Saturday. Fortunately, no erroneous payouts were made during the confusion. Sagstuen expressed regret over the disappointment and frustration caused, especially to those who had plans based on the erroneous amounts. One individual, who was in the process of renovating her home, received a notification claiming she had won 1.2 million kroner (approximately $119,000) but was left with only a fraction of the amount.

An emergency meeting between the Norsk Tipping board and the Ministry of Culture took place to address the mishap. Following the meeting, Sagstuen stepped down, acknowledging the failures in control leading to the error. She expressed her sadness at leaving the role, which she had held since September 2023, having worked with the company since 2014.

Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery commented that such mistakes should not occur, particularly given Norsk Tipping's exclusive rights to deliver gaming services in Norway. She emphasized the need for improved control measures. This incident wasn't the first time Norsk Tipping faced scrutiny, as the company reported experiencing multiple technical issues and criticism from customers and regulators alike in recent months.