OSLO, Norway – June 30, 2025 — A major blunder at Norway’s state-owned gambling company, Norsk Tipping, led thousands of hopeful players to believe they had struck it rich—only to be bitterly disappointed hours later when the company admitted a technical error had dramatically inflated their winnings.
The incident unfolded on Friday when “several thousand” participants in the Eurojackpot lottery received notifications of erroneous jackpot sums. The fault, according to the company, stemmed from a miscalculation during currency conversion from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner.
Instead of dividing the amount by 100, it was mistakenly multiplied—resulting in prize amounts that appeared 10,000 times higher than they actually were. By Saturday evening, Norsk Tipping had corrected the displayed winnings and confirmed that no incorrect payouts were made. Still, the emotional toll was significant.
“I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us,” said CEO Tonje Sagstuen in a statement. She added that the “criticism is justified” and acknowledged the breach of public trust. On Sunday, just one day after the error became public, Sagstuen announced her resignation.
“One woman told me she was in the middle of a home renovation project when she got a message saying she’d won 1.2 million kroner. She was planning on buying an apartment,” Sagstuen said. “To her and others, I can only say: Sorry. But I understand that it is a small consolation.”
Norsk Tipping receives official Eurojackpot prize data from Germany and is responsible for converting the figures into local currency for its Norwegian customers.
The company has not disclosed the total number of customers affected, but the incident has sent ripples of anger across the country, with several customers contacting national broadcaster NRK to share their stories of dashed dreams.
The company’s board convened an emergency meeting with Norway’s Ministry of Culture on Saturday, prompting Sagstuen’s resignation shortly after. Sagstuen, who had been with Norsk Tipping since 2014 and CEO since September 2023, accepted full responsibility.
“Here, things have failed in several places. This is my responsibility,” she said. “I am sad to leave, but I am confident that the improvement processes now underway will help restore public trust.”
Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery called the situation “deeply regrettable” and demanded stricter oversight. “Such mistakes should not happen, especially when Norsk Tipping has the exclusive right to offer gaming services in Norway,” she told NRK. “We expect the board to work actively to improve control routines.”
The error is the latest in a series of technical mishaps plaguing the company. Norsk Tipping has faced mounting criticism from both regulators and customers over the past year. It has admitted to “several serious errors” and persistent “technical problems,” which have now culminated in a leadership shake-up.
With the Eurojackpot draw’s integrity shaken and confidence in the system severely tested, Norsk Tipping is under intense pressure to restore its credibility and ensure such a debacle never happens again.