• 47,000 Norwegian lottery players were misinformed about winnings due to a currency conversion error.
• The error involved multiplying prize amounts instead of dividing them, leading to inflated win announcements.
• Norsk Tipping's CEO resigned after the incident, and authorities are reviewing potential legal breaches.

A significant error occurred at Norsk Tipping, Norway's state-owned lottery company, affecting around 47,000 players who were mistakenly informed of winning substantial prizes. The mistake originated from a currency conversion error where winnings in euro cents were multiplied by 100 instead of being divided, causing chaos among hopeful gamblers. As a result, many players, like Ole Fredrik Sveen, believed they had won up to 1.2 million kroner (about $119,000) only to learn they had actually won a mere 125 kroner (approximately $12) instead, according to Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, and The Hill.

The aftermath of the scandal saw Norsk Tipping issuing a public apology, which many deemed insufficient. Sveen expressed disappointment over the company's communication, stating, "The apology was a poor consolation. They should have sent it out after the mistake, not today," highlighting the emotional impact on affected players. The Lottery Authority in Norway has initiated a review to determine if any gambling laws were violated due to this mishap, as reported by The Hill and Newsweek.

The fallout led to the resignation of CEO Tonje Sagstuen, who acknowledged the massive breach of public trust. "I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us," she stated, as confirmed by Newsweek and South China Morning Post. Vegar Strand, the acting CEO, emphasized the company's reliance on public trust and announced plans to "rebuild trust again" in the wake of this scandal.