Norsk Tipping, Norway's state-owned gambling company, mistakenly informed thousands of lottery participants of inflated winnings, sparking outrage and leading to the resignation of CEO Tonje Sagstuen after an error in prize conversion.**
Lottery Dream Turns into Nightmare for Thousands in Norway Due to Mistaken Prize Notification**
Lottery Dream Turns into Nightmare for Thousands in Norway Due to Mistaken Prize Notification**
A massive error in prize conversion by Norsk Tipping leads to widespread disappointment as many think they won millions only to face a reality check.**
Thousands of individuals in Norway faced a harsh reality check last Friday when they received notifications from Norsk Tipping, the state-owned gambling company, claiming they had won substantial prizes in the Eurojackpot lottery. The excitement swiftly turned to disappointment when it was revealed that an error had been made in the prize amounts due to a miscalculation during the conversion process from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner.
Norsk Tipping reported that "several thousand" participants received messages indicating they were owed excessively high amounts, with the conversion being inflated by a factor of 100 instead of being correctly divided by 100. This unfortunate confusion led to rampant speculation about who among them was now a millionaire. Norsk Tipping's CEO, Tonje Sagstuen, publicly apologized for the mishap, acknowledging the deep disappointment felt by the affected individuals. She resigned just a day later, taking full responsibility for the error.
The company explained that they receive prize information in euros from their German counterparts, which they then convert for Norwegian players. Once the mistake was confirmed, they issued correct figures on Saturday evening. No actual payouts had occurred, which, while providing some relief, did little to quell the anger of players who had spent the night contemplating how to spend their unexpected windfall.
Among those affected was a woman in the midst of renovating her home, who was informed she'd won 1.2 million kroner (approximately $119,000), only to later discover that her winnings amounted to a fraction of that. Sagstuen stated she understood the feelings of disbelief and frustration that ensued, particularly as individuals made plans based on these erroneous notifications.
In the wake of the incident, Norsk Tipping's board held an emergency meeting with the Ministry of Culture, which oversees the company's operations. Minister of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery, emphasized the necessity for robust control measures to prevent similar mistakes from occurring in the future, especially given Norsk Tipping's monopoly on gaming services within Norway.
This incident marks yet another chapter in a series of recent criticisms aimed at Norsk Tipping for previously encountered technical problems and errors. The company conceded that it had faced significant scrutiny from both the regulator and its customer base, indicating a pressing need for organizational improvements to rebuild the trust that has unfortunately been compromised.
