Thousands of Lottery Players Were Mistakenly Told They Won Millions A currency conversion error temporarily created a whole bunch of very rich Norwegians.
By David James
All you need is a dollar and a dream...and a forgiving heart.
CBS News reports that thousands of people in Norway who played the Eurojackpot lottery were incorrectly told that they had won big money — millions! — when, in fact, they won much smaller amounts.
Norsk Tipping, the state-owned gambling company, explained that the mistake was made due to a currency conversion error. The winnings come to the company from Germany in Euros. And when they were converted to Norwegian kroner, they were multiplied by 100 instead of divided by 100.
Related: New York Man Wins $10 Million Lottery Scratch Off. Twice.
Tonje Sagstuen, CEO of Norsk Tipping, said in a statement that they were "terribly sorry to have disappointed so many" and detailed some of the not-very-happy missives they've received.
"I have received many messages from people who had managed to make plans for holidays, buying an apartment, or renovating before they realized that the amount was wrong," Sagstuen said. "To them I can only say: Sorry! But I understand that it is a small consolation."
One winner said she began a renovation project after receiving a notification that she had won 1.2 million kroner ($119,000), but received much less, per the BBC.
And when Sagstuen says she's sorry, she really means it. Following the debacle, she announced she was stepping down as CEO and leaving the company she had worked at since 2014.
