Norsk Tipping acknowledges a trust breach as it addresses the fallout from a significant error impacting players’ optimism.
**Norway's Lottery Blunder: Thousands Misled by False Winning Notifications**
**Norway's Lottery Blunder: Thousands Misled by False Winning Notifications**
A gambling company's coding mistake has led to widespread disappointment after incorrect lottery win notifications were sent to players.
In a shocking turn of events, thousands of lottery players in Norway were left crestfallen when they discovered that their anticipated windfalls were mere mirages. The state-owned gambling operator, Norsk Tipping, announced that erroneous notifications regarding “high prize” wins for the EuroJackpot were inadvertently sent out due to a coding error.
The company stated that "several thousand" individuals received notifications about inflated winnings that were not genuine. In a statement released on Monday, the company expressed its sincere apologies, while revealing that the error had led to the resignation of its chief executive, Tonje Sagstuen.
Sagstuen addressed the situation, expressing regret for providing individuals with "false hopes." She noted that many players had begun to make financial plans, including purchasing homes and planning vacations based on their supposed lottery winnings.
Norsk Tipping, which handles the notifications for the EuroJackpot within Norway, explained that the mishap occurred during a currency conversion from euros to Norwegian kroner. A “manual error” in the conversion code led to the multiplication of amounts rather than the intended division.
As it stands, the company has not clarified the exact number of players impacted or the erroneous amounts communicated. The total prize fund for the Friday drawing was about $50 million, per EuroJackpot's official data.
In light of this incident, Sylvia Brustad, the chairperson of Norsk Tipping, acknowledged the damage to public trust and asserted the company's commitment to improvements. "We are determined to clean up and improve ourselves," she stated amid ongoing scrutiny from the public and government officials.
As the fallout continues, Norsk Tipping has pledged to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future, striving to regain the confidence of its players.
The company stated that "several thousand" individuals received notifications about inflated winnings that were not genuine. In a statement released on Monday, the company expressed its sincere apologies, while revealing that the error had led to the resignation of its chief executive, Tonje Sagstuen.
Sagstuen addressed the situation, expressing regret for providing individuals with "false hopes." She noted that many players had begun to make financial plans, including purchasing homes and planning vacations based on their supposed lottery winnings.
Norsk Tipping, which handles the notifications for the EuroJackpot within Norway, explained that the mishap occurred during a currency conversion from euros to Norwegian kroner. A “manual error” in the conversion code led to the multiplication of amounts rather than the intended division.
As it stands, the company has not clarified the exact number of players impacted or the erroneous amounts communicated. The total prize fund for the Friday drawing was about $50 million, per EuroJackpot's official data.
In light of this incident, Sylvia Brustad, the chairperson of Norsk Tipping, acknowledged the damage to public trust and asserted the company's commitment to improvements. "We are determined to clean up and improve ourselves," she stated amid ongoing scrutiny from the public and government officials.
As the fallout continues, Norsk Tipping has pledged to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future, striving to regain the confidence of its players.
