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Thousands of Norwegian lottery players experienced an emotional rollercoaster after being told they’d won substantial prizes – only to discover it was all due to a catastrophic technical error. The mistake has now cost a high-ranking executive her job.
Lottery players worldwide share the same dream: beating impossible odds to win life-changing money. Despite the astronomical chances (often worse than being struck by lightning), millions participate daily with the familiar rationalization that “someone has to win.”
While small wins on scratch-off tickets aren’t uncommon, landing a major prize in games like Powerball, Mega Millions, or Eurojackpot remains exceedingly rare. The latter – available in nearly 20 European countries – offers starting jackpots of €10,000,000 (~$11.7 million) that can balloon to a staggering €120,000,000 (~$141 million).
Eurojackpot operates in Norway through Norsk Tipping, the state-run lottery authority.
According to The Guardian, a devastating coding error recently multiplied winners’ prizes by 100 instead of dividing them by that figure – creating false hope for thousands. One player received notification of a 1.9 million kroner windfall (approximately $300,000), while another couple was told they’d won 1.2 million kroner (about $120,000) – money they’d already mentally allocated for home renovations.
The reality? These “winners” were entitled to just .0001% of those amounts – a brutal correction that followed shortly after the initial notifications went out.
The fallout was swift. Tonje Sagstuen, who had served as Norsk Tipping’s CEO since 2023 with an annual salary exceeding $370,000, resigned last week following the debacle.
In her apology, Sagstuen acknowledged the emotional impact of the error: “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.”
She added, “To them I can only say: Sorry! But I understand that it is a small consolation.”
Dreams Dashed
The incident highlights the powerful psychological impact lotteries have on participants – and the devastating emotional letdown when perceived wins evaporate. Many affected players had already begun making significant life plans based on their “winnings” before receiving the correction.
Norsk Tipping hasn’t yet announced Sagstuen’s replacement or detailed what additional compensation (if any) might be offered to affected players beyond the apology.
