Since 2021, every draw of the Norwegian lottery has been flawed, potentially costing the operator a hefty €3.9 million in fines.
In the realm of Norway's gaming landscape, the Norwegian Gaming Authority (NGA) is mulling over a hefty €3.9m ($4.4m) penalty for Norsk Tipping. This decision comes in the wake of a unsettling revelation: a technical glitch that gave particular players an edge in significant national lottery games like Lotto super draws and Eurojackpot extra draws, dating back to 2021.
The crux of the issue lies in the fact that, unbeknownst to them, players joining the fray via cooperative banks or clubs were inadvertently enjoying a higher likelihood of success.
Diving into the gravity of the situation, NGA Director Atle Hamar voiced his concerns, stating that this issue had directly impacted millions of players, resulting in "wrong winners in every single draw over several years." He stressed that this blatant violation of the law undermines public trust and the operator's integrity.
The ball started rolling when the issue was flagged to Norsk Tipping in November 2024. Regrettably, numerous draws took place post-discovery, further complicating matters.
The company has a three-week window to respond before the regulator makes its final call. The proposed penalty equates to 0.45% of Norsk Tipping's revenue after prize payouts, roughly equivalent to NOK 46 million based on 2024 turnover.
This isn't the first time Norsk Tipping has found itself in a bind in Norway. The company inadvertently doled out NOK 25m ($2.4m) on an online casino game, which breached the country's prize limit of NOK 100,000 ($9,577), and in another instance, the self-exclusion system faltered for problem gamblers.
Fun fact: The NGA's proposed penalty against Norsk Tipping is the equivalent of approximately 43,655 packs of Norway's national lottery tickets.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-gaming-authority-considers-million-fine-for-norsk-tipping-2025-05-24/[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsk_Tipping[5] https://www.t‑online.de/ningenzimmer/id_88599634/norwegen-staatslotterie-zu-millionenstrafe-gewurdigt.html
- The Norwegian Gaming Authority (NGA) is considering a heavy €3.9m ($4.4m) penalty for Norsk Tipping, due to a technical glitch that unfairly benefited certain players in national lottery games like Lotto super draws and Eurojackpot extra draws from 2021.
- Unbeknownst to them, players who joined the lottery through cooperative banks or clubs had a higher likelihood of success, which has directly impacted millions of players, according to NGA Director Atle Hamar.
- This issue has eroded public trust and operator integrity, as it led to "wrong winners in every single draw over several years."
- The problem was flagged to Norsk Tipping in November 2024, but numerous draws took place post-discovery, further complicating matters.
- The company has three weeks to respond before the regulator makes its final decision, with the proposed penalty equating to 0.45% of Norsk Tipping's revenue after prize payouts, translating to around NOK 46 million based on 2024 turnover.
- In another instance, Norsk Tipping inadvertently doled out NOK 25m ($2.4m) on an online casino game, breaching the country's prize limit of NOK 100,000 ($9,577), and the self-exclusion system for problem gamblers also faltered.
- The proposed penalty by the NGA against Norsk Tipping is equivalent to approximately 43,655 packs of Norway's national lottery tickets.
