In an astonishing twist of events, thousands of aspiring lottery winners in Norway were handed the devastating news that their big wins were nothing but an illusion. Norsk Tipping, the state-owned gambling company, mistakenly sent notifications claiming that players had won “erroneously high prizes” during the EuroJackpot lottery last week.
The mix-up was linked to a coding error during the currency conversion process. Instead of the intended division, the code mistakenly multiplied the prize amounts by 100, leading to wildly inflated winnings. Norsk Tipping clarified that “several thousand” players were impacted and promptly apologized, with their CEO, Tonje Sagstuen, expressing regret for the “false hopes” that had been raised.
Despite the error being identified quickly, the damage was done, leading to criticism from customers and the government alike. Players were already envisioning new vacations and homes based on the erroneous figures. Sylvia Brustad, the chairwoman of Norsk Tipping, admitted trust was compromised, emphasizing their commitment to improve and rectify the situation.
Though the total EuroJackpot prize pool for that draw was around $50 million, the exact number of affected customers or how much they believed they had won remains undisclosed. As the fallout continues, Norsk Tipping faces an uphill battle to restore faith among its players.
