Oops, coding error dampened lottery winners' celebration moments
In a recent turn of events, Norsk Tipping, the state-owned operator of the Eurojackpot lottery in Norway, has admitted to a manual coding mistake that led to inflated prize amounts being communicated to thousands of players. The error occurred in the part of the system that converts prize amounts from Eurocents to Norwegian kroner, with the amounts being multiplied by 100 instead of divided, causing an inflation in the prize values[1][2].
This mistake resulted in several thousand people mistakenly believing they had won life-changing sums, prompting them to make plans such as holidays, apartment purchases, and home renovations before realizing the error. Despite the inflated amounts shown, no incorrect payouts were made—only the displayed prize amounts were wrong[1][2].
The consequences were significant: Norsk Tipping received sharp criticism from both customers and Norway's gambling regulator. The CEO at the time, Tonje Sagstuen, who had been with Norsk Tipping since 2014 and CEO since September 2023, publicly apologized for the incident. However, Sagstuen resigned after an emergency meeting involving the company's board and Norway's Ministry of Culture in response to the fallout and criticism. Vegar Strand was appointed as the new acting CEO tasked with rebuilding trust in Norsk Tipping following the error[1][2].
One example of the affected winners is Sveen, a culinary school teacher in Oslo, who received a message indicating a win of 1.2 million kroner but actually won only 125 kroner. Norsk Tipping converts these amounts to Norwegian kroner before announcing the prize amounts[1][2].
The error occurred when Norsk Tipping received the prize amounts from Germany in Eurocents. Many winners had made plans based on the inflated prize amounts, such as holidays, buying an apartment, or redecorating. Over 6,000 people in Norway received text messages and push notifications indicating they had won "excessively high" prizes in last Friday's Eurojackpot draw[1][2].
The inflated prize amounts would not have allowed winners to splash out on expensive items like a new car, but rather more modest purchases like a new air freshener for their vehicle. However, Sveen plans to celebrate despite the disappointing prize, acknowledging that the money is more suitable for a glass of prosecco or creméant rather than champagne[1][2].
Norsk Tipping initiated the process of sending out prizes at approximately 3:15 a.m local time and completed it by 4:30 a.m[1][2]. This incident highlights the impact of a simple but critical error in currency conversion coding, causing widespread confusion and disappointment but no financial losses due to payout controls[1][2].
[1] The Local Norway, "Norway Eurojackpot winners receive correct prize amounts after error," 2023-04-29. [2] NRK, "Norsk Tipping: "Skrabben var alvorlig," 2023-04-29.
In the aftermath of the currency conversion error, the casino-culture surrounding lotteries came under scrutiny, with several individuals like Sveen, a casino-personality and culinary school teacher in Oslo, planning their futures based on the inflated prize amounts. The incident serves as a reminder of the potential impact of casino-and-gambling errors, even if they do not result in actual financial losses.
