Norsk Tipping, Norway's state-owned gambling enterprise, caused widespread confusion when a currency conversion error led to erroneous lottery win notifications. CEO Tonje Sagstuen resigned after acknowledging the breach of trust as countless players had to confront the bitter reality of false hopes.
Lottery Miscommunication in Norway Leaves Thousands Disheartened
Lottery Miscommunication in Norway Leaves Thousands Disheartened
A coding blunder at Norsk Tipping led to thousands of players mistakenly believing they had won significant sums in the EuroJackpot lottery.
Last week in Norway, excitement turned to disappointment as thousands of players learned they had not won the lottery after all. Norsk Tipping, the state-owned lottery company, mistakenly sent notifications alleging “erroneously high prizes” for the EuroJackpot, a prominent Europe-wide lottery. The company attributed this blunder to a coding mistake involving currency conversion, which resulted in inflated prize announcements.
Norsk Tipping's CEO, Tonje Sagstuen, expressed regret over the confusion, admitting that many recipients had begun making plans based on the inaccurate information—some even considering vacations or housing purchases. The company issued a statement acknowledging that “several thousand” players had been impacted and assured the public that steps would be taken to prevent future incidents.
The miscalculation occurred at the conversion stage, where figures in euros were intended to be divided by 100 to translate into Norwegian kroner. However, a manual error led to those amounts being multiplied instead, creating a significant overestimation of winnings. The total prize pool for the EuroJackpot draw that week was reported to be around $50 million.
Although the error was quickly recognized, the damage lingered with many players left reeling from the unexpected disappointment. Sylvia Brustad, chairwoman of Norsk Tipping, admitted that “trust has been broken” and emphasized the company's commitment to improving its operations to regain public confidence.
As Norsk Tipping faces scrutiny from the public and governmental bodies, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential impacts of technological errors on consumers. The company has not disclosed specific numbers regarding how many individuals received the misleading notifications or the amounts erroneously communicated.
