THOUSANDS of people in Norway were mistakenly told they had won life-changing amounts of money in a blunder by the lottery.
Some were even told they had become millionaires and began planning new futures – only to find their true prizes were much smaller.
Norway’s state-owned gambling operator, Norsk Tipping, announced that “several thousands of people were informed of erroneously high prizes” won in the Euro Jackpot.
The agonising mistake prompted the CEO to step down.
It arose from a calculation error when prize amounts, received from Germany in Euros, were converted to the Norwegian Kroner.
The company explained: “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.”
The eye-watering prizes were displayed on the website and mobile app on Friday but later removed.
No incorrect sums were paid out, Norsk Tipping confirmed.
One woman involved in the mix-up is currently undergoing a renovation project and mentioned to the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that she was informed she had won £87,000, but she ultimately received only a fraction of that amount.
Others said they made plans to buy cars and planned holidays – only to have it all snatched away.
Lise Naustdal, who thought she had won £138,000, said: “It was a very fun minute.”
The company was hauled in front of the Ministry of Culture for an emergency meeting on Saturday.
Following the scolding, Tonje Sagstuen, its chief since 2023, stepped down.
She said: “I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us.
“Here, things have failed in several places, this is my responsibility.”
Tonje admitted that “criticism is justified” over the “breach of trust”.
Norway’s Minister of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery, expressed to NRK that “such mistakes should not occur,” especially since Norsk Tipping holds the exclusive rights to offer gaming services in the country.
She said: “We expect the board to work actively to improve the control routines.”
Tonje added: “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.”
