Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-owned lottery operator, has sent an apology text message to 47,000 people who were mistakenly informed they had won large sums of money in a recent draw. The error occurred when the company incorrectly converted euro winnings into kroner.
The mistake affected “several thousand” players, including 53-year-old Ole Fredrik Sveen, who received a notification informing him he had won 1.2m kroner (£86,650), only to discover he actually won 125 kroner (£9). Sveen, a culinary school teacher from near Oslo, initially felt disappointed but managed to regain his composure and celebrate the modest win nonetheless.
Norsk Tipping has faced criticism for the mistake, with Norway’s culture minister labeling it “totally unacceptable”. The company’s managing director, Vegar Strand, acknowledged the error in his apology message, stating that they are taking steps to prevent such mistakes in the future. However, the company’s chief executive has announced her resignation amid the controversy.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/30/norway-lottery-error-apology