A miscalculation caused the Norwegian lottery company Norsk Tipping to issue false notifications of substantial winnings to thousands of participants. The company's CEO resigned after acknowledging the error that affected many lottery players, leaving them disappointed and outraged.
Lottery Mishap Leaves Thousands in Norway Heartbroken Over Prize Error
Lottery Mishap Leaves Thousands in Norway Heartbroken Over Prize Error
A significant error by Norsk Tipping led to thousands believing they had won millions in a lottery, only for it to be revealed as a mistake.
In a shocking turn of events, thousands of Norwegians were led to believe they had struck it rich, only to discover the life-changing lottery winnings were part of a major error. Norsk Tipping, the state-owned gambling company, mistakenly informed "several thousand" participants in the Eurojackpot that they had won extravagant sums, prompting feelings of excitement and hope across the nation. However, the jubilant news quickly turned sour as the company revealed that the prize totals were significantly inflated due to a conversion error from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner.
The misunderstanding arose when a miscalculation led to prize amounts being multiplied by 100 instead of being divided, resulting in numerous notifications of jaw-dropping winnings. Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen publicly offered her apologies and announced her resignation just a day after the error was disclosed.
Norsk Tipping clarified that, as of now, no incorrect payouts had occurred. However, many individuals had already envisioned their newfound fortune transforming their lives—some planned vacations and home renovations, while others dreamed of buying new apartments. One affected woman shared her disappointment when she discovered that the 1.2 million kroner ($119,000/£87,000) she thought she won would only amount to a fraction of that.
Following the revelation, urgent meetings took place with the Ministry of Culture, which oversees the operations of Norsk Tipping. Sagstuen acknowledged her responsibility for the lapse in the company’s processes and expressed regret over the trust placed on the organization.
Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery expressed her discontent with the occurrence, emphasizing that such errors are unacceptable, particularly since Norsk Tipping has a monopoly on gaming services in Norway. The Norwegian public has been vocal in their criticism of the company, citing not just this incident but a history of technical issues and errors. Norsk Tipping has pledged to implement improvements to their control processes to help regain public confidence amid this controversy.
