A major technical blunder at Norway’s state-owned gambling company, <a href="https://news.quantosei.com/2025/06/29/thousands-in-norway-told-they-won-up-to-millions-in-lottery-error/” title=”Norway Lottery Error: Thousands' Win Dream Shattered”>norsk Tipping, mistakenly informed thousands of lottery players they had won massive, life-changing sums. This widespread error triggered immediate excitement and planning among hopeful winners, only for the illusion of instant riches to vanish hours later when the company corrected the amounts. The fallout was significant, leading to a public apology and the resignation of the company’s CEO.
Lottery Dream Turned Nightmare: How the Error Unfolded
The incident specifically impacted participants in the pan-European Eurojackpot lottery. On Friday, potentially “several thousand” Norwegians received notifications from Norsk Tipping claiming they had won prizes far exceeding their actual entitlements – in some cases, suggesting winnings of up to millions of Norwegian kroner.
The root cause was a technical fault within Norsk Tipping’s system. The company receives prize data from Germany in Eurocents. During the conversion process to Norwegian kroner (NOK), an error occurred where the system incorrectly multiplied the Eurocent amount by 100 instead of correctly dividing it by 100. This single calculation mistake dramatically inflated the reported winnings, reportedly by a factor of 10,000 according to some sources, giving players a wildly inaccurate picture of their success.
Widespread Disappointment Follows Notification Glitch
The erroneous notifications caused immediate and widespread elation among recipients. Many began making tangible plans based on the mistaken belief they had suddenly become wealthy. Stories emerged of people planning holidays, considering home renovations, or even looking at buying new apartments.
One woman shared her disappointment with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, describing how she received a notification stating she had won 1.2 million kroner (approximately $119,000 USD or £87,000 GBP). This amount would have been substantial, especially as she was in the middle of a renovation project. Tragically, her actual winnings were merely a small fraction of that sum. Another report mentioned a man whose partner received a similar 1.2 million kroner notification, sparking excitement and thoughts of funding their ongoing house renovation.
The false hope generated by the inflated figures underscores the significant emotional impact such errors can have on individuals who suddenly believe their financial worries are over.
Norsk Tipping Responds and Faces Scrutiny
Recognizing the severity of the mistake and the disappointment it caused, Norsk Tipping quickly worked to rectify the issue. The company corrected the incorrect prize amounts displayed to players by Saturday evening. Crucially, Norsk Tipping confirmed that no incorrect, inflated payouts were made based on the erroneous notifications. The error was confined to the notifications themselves.
Norsk Tipping’s CEO, Tonje Sagstuen, issued a public apology, acknowledging the pain and frustration felt by the affected players. “I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us,” she stated. She openly admitted that the criticism directed at the company was “justified” given the significant “breach of trust.” Sagstuen mentioned receiving personal messages from individuals whose plans had been dashed by the correction.
CEO Steps Down After Emergency Meeting
The fallout from the lottery notification error was swift and significant for the leadership of Norsk Tipping. Following the incident, an emergency meeting was held between the company’s board and Norway’s Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for overseeing the state-owned gambling operator.
On Saturday, a day after the error came to light and following the emergency meeting, Tonje Sagstuen announced her resignation as CEO. Sagstuen had been CEO since September 2023 and had worked at Norsk Tipping since 2014. Taking full responsibility for the failures that led to the incident, she stated, “Here, things have failed in several places, this is my responsibility.” While expressing sadness about leaving, she also conveyed confidence in the “improvement processes” being implemented by the company. Reports suggest Sagstuen is expected to receive six months of severance pay based on her contract.
Government Expresses Disappointment and Demands Improvement
The Norwegian government reacted strongly to the technical error and its impact on the public. As the state is the sole provider of gaming services through Norsk Tipping, the incident directly affects public confidence in a state-controlled monopoly.
Minister of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery, emphasized the seriousness of the situation, telling NRK that “such mistakes should not happen.” She stressed that the entire model of a state lottery relies heavily on public trust, deeming the occurrence “completely unacceptable.” Minister Jaffery indicated a clear expectation for Norsk Tipping’s board to actively work on improving control routines and technical reliability.
Not an Isolated Incident: A Pattern of Technical Problems
Adding to the concern surrounding this latest error is Norsk Tipping’s recent history. The company itself has acknowledged facing a series of operational challenges. In public statements, Norsk Tipping admitted that “several serious errors have been uncovered” and it has “experienced a number of technical problems in the past year.”
The company has previously been “heavily criticised” by both the national gambling regulator and its own customers for these issues, criticism which Norsk Tipping concedes “was justified.” Reports indicate the company faced significant fines earlier in the year, including a 46 million kroner penalty for a malfunction in the national lottery system and another 36 million kroner fine related to a failure in its self-exclusion system designed to help individuals with gambling problems.
This pattern of technical malfunctions and regulatory issues provides crucial context for the recent Eurojackpot notification error, suggesting deeper systemic problems within the organization that must be addressed.
Rebuilding Trust: A Challenging Road Ahead
The incident has undeniably shaken public confidence in Norsk Tipping. For a state-owned entity operating as a monopoly, maintaining trust is paramount. Raising then dashing the hopes of thousands of people through a technical error creates significant damage to that trust.
The head of the national gambling authority, Atle Hamar, commented on the situation, noting that while the CEO’s resignation is a step, it alone will not be sufficient to fully restore public faith. Rebuilding confidence will be a challenging and time-consuming process that requires demonstrating consistent reliability and transparency moving forward. The focus will now be on the “improvement processes” mentioned by the former CEO and the board’s commitment to strengthening technical controls and preventing future errors of this magnitude.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Norsk Tipping lottery error?
The error was caused by a technical mistake in the currency conversion system Norsk Tipping uses to process Eurojackpot winnings. Prize amounts, received in Eurocents from Germany, were incorrectly multiplied by 100 during conversion to Norwegian kroner (NOK), instead of being divided by 100. This incorrect calculation resulted in the reported winnings being vastly inflated in notifications sent to players.
Who is Tonje Sagstuen and why did she resign as CEO?
Tonje Sagstuen was the CEO of Norsk Tipping. She resigned from her position on Saturday, June 29th, a day after the lottery notification error became public. She took responsibility for the incident, stating that “things have failed in several places, this is my responsibility.” Her resignation followed an emergency meeting between the company’s board and Norway’s Ministry of Culture.
Is this the first time Norsk Tipping has had problems?
No, Norsk Tipping has faced previous issues. The company has admitted to experiencing “several serious errors” and “technical problems” in the past year. It has received heavy criticism from both regulators and customers, acknowledging this criticism was justified. Reports mention previous significant fines this year related to other system malfunctions and failures in their self-exclusion program.
The widespread notification error serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust technical systems and the fragility of public trust in institutions, especially those operating monopolies. The coming months will show how Norsk Tipping plans to regain the confidence of its players and the Norwegian public.
