Scores of Norwegians thought that they had change into millionaires after receiving a notification from the state-owned playing firm saying that they had received eye-watering sums – till it turned out it was a mistake.
“A number of thousand” individuals who received prizes within the Eurojackpot had been notified of incorrect quantities on Friday, Norsk Tipping stated. The corporate declined to verify the precise variety of these impacted to the BBC.
Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen apologised and resigned a day later.
An error within the conversion from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner brought on the prize quantities to be “excessively excessive”, the corporate stated. The quantity was multiplied by 100, as a substitute of being divided by 100, native media reported.
Norsk Tipping receives the prize quantities from Germany in euros, after which converts them to Norwegian kroner.
The proper quantities had been up to date on Saturday night. No incorrect pay-outs had been made, the playing firm stated.
“I’m terribly sorry that we’ve upset so many, and I perceive that persons are indignant with us,” Ms Sagstuen stated in a press release, including that “criticism is justified” given the “breach of belief”.
She stated she had obtained a number of messages from individuals who had been planning to go on vacation, renovate their properties or purchase an house.
“To them I can solely say: Sorry! However I perceive that it’s a small comfort,” she stated.
One lady, in the course of a renovation undertaking, informed Norwegian Broadcasting Company (NRK) she obtained a notification that she had received 1.2 million kroner ($119,000: £87,000), however as a substitute obtained solely a fraction of that sum.
The Norsk Tipping board met with the Ministry of Tradition, which administers the operating of the corporate, for an emergency assembly on Saturday.
After the assembly, Ms Sagstuen stepped down from her function as CEO. She held the place since September 2023 and had labored at Norsk Tipping since 2014.
“Right here, issues have failed in a number of locations, that is my accountability,” she stated.
She stated she was “unhappy” to go away however assured within the “enchancment processes” which were put in place.
Minister of Tradition and Equality Lubna Jaffery informed NRK that “such errors shouldn’t occur”, particularly as Norsk Tipping has the unique proper to ship gaming companies within the nation.
“We count on the board to work actively to enhance the management routines,” she stated.
This isn’t the primary time Norsk Tipping has discovered itself underneath criticism.
The corporate stated that “a number of severe errors have been uncovered” in current months and it had “skilled various technical issues previously yr”.
It acknowledged it had been “closely criticised” by the regulator and its clients, and the criticism “was justified”.
