Norsk Tipping set for crunch talks with regulator following Eurojackpot scandal
Norsk Tipping faces urgent talks with Norway’s gambling regulator, as Lottstift investigates whether the operator’s Eurojackpot payout error breached national gambling laws.
The state-owned gambling monopoly has come under intense scrutiny after nearly 16,000 players received incorrect messages about their Eurojackpot winnings. A major technical error in the currency conversion system caused messages to show inflated payouts — some by as much as 10,000 times the actual prize.
The fallout led to the resignation of Tonje Sagstuen, Norsk Tipping’s CEO. However, the controversy continues to escalate.
Lottstift confirmed it has received a preliminary incident report from Norsk Tipping detailing the events following Friday’s Eurojackpot draw. The regulator will decide on next steps after its scheduled meeting with the operator on Tuesday.
“This is a serious matter, which is clearly harmful to Norsk Tipping,” said Terje Gilleshammer, communications director at Lottstift. “Our job is to assess whether what has happened is a violation of the Gambling Act.
“We are in the process of thoroughly reviewing [the report], and will have a meeting with Norsk Tipping [on Tuesday]. We will of course inform you when we have considered this matter. This is an error that is of great public interest, and which has affected many players.”
Anger over CEO’s big money payoff
The Eurojackpot glitch caused widespread public distress. Many Norwegians believed they had won life-changing prizes and made financial commitments — such as booking holidays or placing deposits on new homes — before discovering the truth. Sagstuen acknowledged these consequences in her resignation letter.
Adding fuel to the fire, Sagstuen reportedly received a severance package of NOK3 million (€252,000), awarded by Norsk Tipping’s board, chaired by Sylvia Brustad. The payout has sparked outrage among opposition politicians, including the Centre Party, Red Party, and Progress Party.
Silje Hjemdal of the Progress Party — which opposes the monopoly itself — condemned both the severance and the company’s leadership.
“NOK3 million in severance pay to the CEO after yet another scandal under her leadership is beyond all reason,” said Hjemdal.
“I expect that minister of culture Lubna Jaffery will also consider whether she has confidence in the chairwoman of the board Sylvia Brustad. I have serious questions about Brustad’s handling of the departure of the CEO, and she is also partly responsible for all the scandals that have hit the company in recent years.”
Norsk Tipping controversies
The criticism is compounded by past controversies at Norsk Tipping, including incidents involving underage gambling and failures in self-exclusion systems.
The Norwegian Industry Association for Online Gaming (NBO) argues that the justification for Norsk Tipping’s monopoly has collapsed. In a recent op-ed for Ostlendingen, NBO Secretary General Carl Fredrik Stenstrøm challenged the company’s ability to operate safely and with public trust.
“Norsk Tipping’s exclusive right to offer gambling in Norway rests on two conditions, both of which are enshrined in the Gambling Act… that the monopoly arrangement is by far the safest option for curbing gambling problems… that Norsk Tipping shall conduct gambling in an honest manner that is suitable to win the trust of the general public.
“Over the past six months, both of these conditions have been violated. Not in a trivial and grey-zone-like way, but with a bang. And time after time.”