Thousands of Norwegians were mistakenly told they had won life-changing sums in the country’s Eurojackpot draw after an error by the state-owned gambling operator, Norsk Tipping.
In a statement on Friday, Norsk Tipping said “several thousand customers were notified of incorrectly high prizes”. The mistake has prompted the resignation of the company’s chief executive.
The company receives prize amounts from Germany in euros, which are then converted to Norwegian kroner.
“It is during this conversion that a manual error has been made in the code that is entered into our game engine,” the company said in a statement. “The amount has been multiplied by 100, instead of being divided by 100.”
The inflated sums were displayed on the company’s website and mobile app on Friday but were later removed. Norsk Tipping confirmed no incorrect payouts were made.
The error has triggered sharp criticism from customers, regulators and the Norwegian minister of culture. The company held an emergency meeting with the ministry of culture on Saturday to explain the incident.
On Sunday, CEO Tonje Sagstuen announced she would step down from the role she had held since September 2023. “As a manager, it has been my responsibility to handle the mistakes that have occurred,” she said in a statement.
“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.”
Several Norwegians told NRK they had begun celebrating before discovering the mistake.
One couple in Herøy believed they had won 1.2m kroner (£87,000) during a home renovation, while others said they planned to buy cars or take holidays before realising the messages were incorrect.
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“It was a very fun minute,” said Lise Naustdal, who thought she had won nearly 1.9m kroner (£138,000).
This is not the first time Norsk Tipping has faced scrutiny. The company acknowledged it has experienced “a number of technical problems” over the past year.
The company has said it will continue to investigate the incident. The Guardian has contacted Norsk Tipping for further comment.