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Newsweek
01-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Thousands of People Mistakenly Told They Had Won Lottery
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Thousands of lottery players were told they had won potentially life-changing sums of money―only to be informed later that extra zeros had mistakenly been added to their prizes. Gamblers who had planned to buy new homes or splash out on lavish vacations were informed they had won only a fraction of the sum they had initially been told was about to hit their bank accounts. One winner was informed he had won the equivalent of almost $125,000, only to discover later that it was closer to $12.50. The incident happened in Norway on Friday after the state-owned lottery company Norsk Tipping made an error calculating the prizes, which had to be converted from euros into Norwegian kroner. None of the mistakenly inflated prizes were paid out. Newsweek has contacted Norsk Tipping for comment via email. The logo of Norwegian lottery company Norsk Tipping next to the Eurojackpot logo on a smartphone display in Oslo, Norway. The logo of Norwegian lottery company Norsk Tipping next to the Eurojackpot logo on a smartphone display in Oslo, Norway. AMANDA PEDERSEN GISKE/NTB/AFP via Getty Images Why It Matters Norsk Tipping, which the Norwegian Ministry of Culture administers, texted some 47,000 customers on Monday to apologize for the incident. The firm has not disclosed exactly how many people were told incorrect prize details, saying only that "several thousand" players were affected. Minister of Culture Lubna Jaffery said the error was "totally unacceptable." The Norwegian Gambling Authority has launched an official review to assess whether any of the country's gambling laws were broken. Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen apologized and resigned following the furor. What To Know The prize mistake occurred when the results were announced for the Eurojackpot game on Friday. Norsk Tipping receives the prize amounts from Germany in euros and coverts them to Norwegian kroner. However, the winnings were converted to cents and then mistakenly multiplied by 100, instead of being divided by 100, the company said in a statement, blaming a "manual coding error." Ole Fredrik Sveen, a 53-year-old culinary school teacher, was among those who thought his life was about to change. While on holiday in Greece, he received a notification that he had won 1.25 million kroner (about $124,789), The Guardian reported. His joy lasted about 15 minutes before turning to suspicion as he looked online and saw many other big wins being reported. Sveen was right to be cautious because it turned out he had won 125 kroner (about $12.49). "At first you're ecstatic and happy about the message you got that says you won 1.2m kroner," he told The Guardian. He added, "You could have been really unlucky and spent a large amount of money then found out it wasn't true. But thankfully we kept our heads cool and realized it wasn't meant to be this time." When asked what he planned to do with his more modest winnings, he replied: "You don't get too much Champagne for that money. It's more like a glass of prosecco or crémant than Champagne." This incident isn't the first time lottery organizers have drawn the public's ire. In February 2024, John Cheeks sued Powerball over a $340 million prize after the American lottery listed his chosen numbers on its website as a winning combination. However, the company said the numbers had not been drawn but had accidentally appeared on the site as it was undergoing developmental testing. In 2022, Powerball was mocked online after a technical problem prevented numbers from being drawn for a record-breaking $1.9 billion prize. Other lottery players have been more fortunate. A Virginia man won $250,000 on a $2 bet in 2022 after dreaming that the unlikely number sequence 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 would come up. A man in Florida, meanwhile, credited his pregnant dachshund with his good luck after he won $2 million from a ticket he bought while taking a different route than usual because of his pet's needs. What People Are Saying Vegar Strand, Norsk Tipping's managing director, texted customers on Monday: "Thousands of Norwegians were mistakenly informed that they had won a large prize in the Eurojackpot. This was a mistake that affected many and which we take very seriously. We deeply regret what has happened, and on behalf of us at Norsk Tipping, I would like to apologize to everyone affected by this. We are incredibly sorry to have disappointed so many." Tonje Sagstuen, Norsk Tipping's CEO, said: "I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us. I have received many messages from people who had managed to make plans for holidays, buying an apartment or renovating before they realized that the amount was wrong. To them I can only say: Sorry! But I understand that it is a small consolation." What Happens Next Officials are reviewing the incident. Norsk Tipping will likely seek a permanent CEO following Sagstuen's resignation.
Telegraph
30-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Thousands of Norwegians told they were millionaires after lottery mistake
Thousands of Norwegians were told that they had won the lottery and become millionaires after an error by the state-owned gambling operator. Norsk Tipping said 'several thousand customers were notified of incorrectly high prizes' because of a mathematical error following Friday's Eurojackpot. The gambling company receives its prize amounts from Germany in euros, which are then converted into Norway's Kroner currency. It said in a statement: 'It is 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.' Several Norwegians told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that they had started celebrating before being told of the mistake. One couple in Herøy believed that they had won 1.2 million kroner (£87,000), which they would have spent on a home renovation, while others said they had planned to go on holiday. 'It was a very fun minute,' said Lise Naustdal, who thought she had won 1.9 million kroner (£138,000). Norsk Tipping confirmed that no payouts were made after the inflated sums were posted on the company's website and mobile app on Friday evening. The company has faced backlash from customers, regulators and the Norwegian government. 'Such mistakes should not happen' Lubna Jaffery, Norway's culture minister, held an emergency meeting on Saturday to explain the incident She told NRK that 'such mistakes should not happen', especially as Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to deliver gaming services in the country. 'We expect the board to work actively to improve the control routines,' she said. Tonje Sagstuen, Norsk Tipping's chief executive, announced that she would step down from the role after only two years at the helm. She said in a statement: 'As a manager, it has been my responsibility to handle the mistakes that have occurred. '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.' Ms Sagstuen said she had received messages from several people who told her of their plans had the win been real. 'To them I can only say, sorry. But I understand that it is a small consolation,' she said. The company had already been under intense scrutiny after 'several serious' technical errors were uncovered within its computer system in recent months and it had 'experienced a number of technical problems in the past year'.
Straits Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Thousands of Norwegians mistakenly told they won millions in lottery
'Several thousand' people were erroneously notified by state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping that they have won 'incorrectly high prizes' at the Eurojackpot draw. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH Thousands of Norwegians mistakenly told they won millions in lottery Thousands of Norwegians thought they had won millions in a lottery, only to find out hours later that it was an error. 'Several thousand' people were erroneously notified by state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping on June 27 that they had won 'incorrectly high prizes' at the Eurojackpot draw, the company said. As a result, the company chief executive officer apologised and resigned the next day. Norsk Tipping said the error stemmed from the conversion of the prize amounts from Euro cents to Norwegian kroner. Norwegian media reported that the amounts were multiplied by 100, instead of being divided by 100. 'The error was discovered too late, so several thousand players received incorrect notifications,' Norsk Tipping said in a June 28 media release. The Guardian reported that the incorrect amounts were initially displayed on the company's website and mobile app on June 27 but were later removed. Norsk Tipping said the correct amounts were uploaded on its website and app on the night of June 28. It confirmed that no incorrect payouts were made. The incident was heavily criticised by customers, gambling regulator Norwegian Lottery Authority and the Norwegian minister of culture. A couple who were renovating their home told Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) they thought they had won 1.2 million Norwegian kroner (S$152,000), while some people made plans for holidays and big-ticket purchases, only to realise later that they will receive only small amounts. 'I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us,' said Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen. 'I have received many messages from people who made plans for holidays, buying an apartment or renovating before they realised that the amount was wrong. To them I can only say: Sorry! But I understand that it is a small consolation.' The gambling company also met senior officials of the ministry of culture on June 28 to explain the incident. Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery told NRK that 'such mistakes should not happen', especially as Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to deliver gaming services in the country. On June 29, Ms Sagstuen - who had worked in the company since 2014 and been CEO since September 2023 - announced that she was stepping down from her role. 'As a manager, it has been my responsibility to handle the errors that have occurred,' she said in a statement. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Wales Online
29-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Lottery error sees thousands told they wrongly won huge sums
Lottery error sees thousands told they wrongly won huge sums The CEO of the gambling company has since apologised and resigned following the incident One customer said she received a notification saying she had received the equivalent of thousands of pounds in the lottery blunder Thousands of people in Norway have wrongly been told that they had won huge sums after receiving a notification from a state-owned gambling company in a lottery error. BBC reported that some people said they had received prize money the equivalent of thousands of pounds, but ended up only getting a fraction of the sum once the error had been fixed. According to BBC News, the gambling company - Norsk Tipping, refused to confirm the exact number of those impacted by the blunder, however it is believed that around "several thousand" people, who won prizes in the Eurojackpot, had been notified of incorrect amounts on Friday, June 27. The CEO of Norsk Tipping, Tonje Sagstuen, has since apologised and resigned following the incident. In a statement, the former CEO said that she was "terribly sorry" and that the "criticism is justified", adding that she had received messages from people who were planning on going on holiday or renovating their homes with the winning money. Germany sends the money to Norwegian gambling company in euros, before it is then converted to Norwegian kroner. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here . Article continues below According to BBC News, the error stemmed from the conversion rate from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner, which caused the prize amounts to be "excessively high". A media outlet in Norway reported that the amount had been multiplied by 100 rather than divided by 100. However, it was confirmed that the correct amounts had been updated on Saturday evening, June 28, and no incorrect pay-outs had been made, Norsk Tipping confirmed. One woman told Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that she had received a notification saying she had won 1.2 million kroner, which is the equivalent of around £87,000, before then receiving only a fraction of the money. On Saturday, the gambling company's board held an emergency meeting with Norway's ministry of culture, which administers the running of the company. Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to deliver gaming services in the country, BBC reports. Norway's Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery told NRK that "such mistakes should not happen". Following the meeting, Tonje Sagstuen resigned as the CEO - a position she had held since September 2023, having worked at Norsk Tipping since 2014. This isn't the first time the gambling company has come under fire, with "several serious errors" uncovered in recent months. Article continues below The company had "experienced a number of technical problems in the past year" and had been "heavily criticised" by the regulator and its customers, which the company said was "justified".
