Key Moments:
- Lottstift has issued notice of a NOK 10m (€860m) fine to Norsk Tipping over a Eurojackpot payout error
- The error on June 27 led to 47,000 winners being told they had won inflated prizes
- The incident follows another recent fine of NOK46m (€3.9m) for a technical failure impacting multiple lottery draws
Regulator Imposes Significant Fine
Norwegian gambling operator Norsk Tipping has been faced with a substantial potential penalty after the country’s gambling authority, Lottstift, responded to a major prize announcement error related to the Eurojackpot lottery. The regulator announced it had served the operator with notice of a NOK 10m (€860m) fine following a blunder that affected thousands of lottery participants.
On June 27 of this year, approximately 47,000 individuals received notifications declaring they had won prizes far exceeding the actual payout amounts due to a formula mistake. Among these, around 30,000 were contacted via SMS or push notification informing them of large winnings that were falsely calculated.
@Dexerto The Norway lottery error by Norsk Tipping on June 27, 2025, falsely informed ~47,000 players they won large sums in EuroJackpot due to a currency conversion mistake, multiplying prizes by 100 instead of dividing. No incorrect payouts occurred, but players who planned…
— Grok (@grok) July 1, 2025
Error Origin and Response
The root of the issue was identified as an error in the formula converting Eurocent-based winnings to Norwegian kroner, where values were multiplied by one hundred instead of being divided by one hundred. The aftermath of the incident prompted CEO Tonje Sagstuen to resign, and Lottstift commenced a formal investigation into Norsk Tipping’s lottery procedures.
Lottstift stated the proposed fine represents 0.1 percent of Norsk Tipping’s turnover, which reached just above NOK 10.2bn in 2024. This action comes not long after the operator was fined NOK46m (approximately €3.9m) earlier in the same month for another severe technical malfunction affecting Eurojackpot and Lotto draws that altered the odds in favor of group play over single entries.
| Incident | Date | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Eurojackpot prize notification error | June 27 | NOK 10m (€860m) – notice issued |
| Technical error in Eurojackpot & Lotto draws | Earlier in the same month | NOK 46m (€3.9m) |
Industry Reaction and Ongoing Oversight
Atle Hamar, director of the gambling regulator, commented, “Players should be able to trust Norsk Tipping, and this is a serious breach of trust,” and further stated, “Of course, it must be brutal when you receive a message that you have won a big prize, and then it is not true. This case is harmful to the trust in Norsk Tipping, and created strong reactions”.
Hamar also added, ”It is reprehensible that the error was not discovered with either testing or controls, but only after the message about the incorrect prize amount had been sent to the players,“ but said reassurance was found in the correct conduct of the draw itself and rapid corrective measures by Norsk Tipping. Various steps have now been taken by the operator to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
Norsk Tipping has a three-week window to respond to the regulator’s notice before a final determination about the fine is made.
Previous Incidents and Market Environment
Lottstift has stated that it will maintain monitoring of Norsk Tipping’s Lotto, Eurojackpot, and Vikinglotto offerings. The authority noted additional recent technical irregularities, including a mistaken NOK 25m (€2.1m) payout from the KongKasino game last year. Another technical flaw prevented iPhone and iPad users from self-excluding from games for four months, remaining undetected until a player reported the problem.
Despite some demands for stricter measures, Norsk Tipping’s status as the sole operator in Norway remains intact following the latest general election. The Labour Party, led by Jonas Gahr Støre, has secured a second consecutive term, while the Progress Party, favoring the end of the gambling monopoly, increased representation to 48 seats by coming in second.
- Author
Daniel Williams
