Thousands of Norwegians were momentarily caught in a whirlwind of excitement as they believed they had become millionaires, thanks to a significant error made by Norway's state-owned lottery operator, Norsk Tipping. The company's blunder stemmed from an incorrect currency conversion from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner, resulting in prize amounts that were mistakenly inflated by a factor of 100.
On Friday, “several thousand” individuals received notifications claiming they had won prizes in the Eurojackpot, only to find out the amounts had been misrepresented. Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen publicly apologized for the incident but resigned the day after, acknowledging the mistakes that led to the misinformation.
"It was a significant error on our part that upset many people," Sagstuen stated, emphasizing the company's failure to maintain trust with the public. Local media reported that people had begun making plans for holidays, renovations, or new home purchases based on the erroneous amounts they received. In one case, a woman in the middle of a renovation was notified of a potential win of 1.2 million kroner (about $119,000) but instead received only a small portion of that.
The company clarified that no incorrect payouts were made, and the correct prize amounts were communicated to the winners on Saturday evening. Following the incident, Sagstuen met with the Ministry of Culture, which oversees the gambling entity, and promptly stepped down from her position after just one month in the role.
Sagaustuen reflected on her responsibilities, stating, "Here, things have failed in several places, this is my responsibility." She expressed her sadness about leaving but also confidence in the newly established procedures aimed at preventing future errors.
Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery underscored the importance of accuracy and accountability in a monopoly provider like Norsk Tipping, urging them to take immediate action to enhance their control systems. This incident is not unique for the organization, as it has faced scrutiny in recent months for other serious errors and technical issues that have drawn considerable criticism from both regulators and the public alike.
