False Hope: Norwegian lottery error sends false jackpot alerts to thousands after tech glitch

Thousands of Norwegians mistakenly believed that they had won huge amounts of money in a lottery draw after a blunder made by a state-owned gambling company, Norsk Tipping, headquarted in Hamar, Norway. The customers who had won Eurojackpot prizes were wrongly notified of the high incorrect amounts due to a technical error, the company said in a statement released on Friday (June 27). The error led to the resignation of company's chief executive officer a day later.

“It's during this conversion that a manual error has been made in the code that is entered into our game engine. The amount has been multiplied by 100, instead of being divided by 100," the company said in the statement. Norsk Tipping receives the amount from Germany in Euros and converts them into Norwegian Kroner.

The incorrect amounts were displayed on company's website and mobile app on Friday. Later on, the amounts were removed after receiving criticism from customers, regulators and even Ministry of Culture. The correct amounts were updated on Saturday and no false pay-outs were made, the company said.

The company held an emergency meeting after the incident. Tonje Sagstuen, CEO, Norsk Tipping, stepped down from her post on Sunday expressing her concern over the faux incident. “As a manager, it has been my responsibility to handle the mistakes that have occurred,” she said in a statement.

“Therefore, it is also incredibly sad to leave Norsk Tipping and all the talented people who work in Hamar. I will miss everyone I have worked with, but I am confident that all the improvement processes we have initiated are in good hands.”

Sagstuen held the position since September 2023 and has worked at Norsk Tipping since 2014.

Ministry of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) "such mistakes should not happen", especially as Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to deliver gaming services in the country.

Several people had begun celebration before discovering the mistake. One couple in Herøy believed they had won 1.2m kroner (£87,000) during a home renovation, while others said they planned to buy cars or take holidays before realising the messages were incorrect. This is not the first time Norsk Tipping has come under scrutiny. The company acknowledged that "it had experienced a number of technical problems inthepastyear."