A Norwegian man experienced the dizzying high of believing he had won a life-changing lottery jackpot, only for his dream to be shattered a mere quarter of an hour later due to a devastating administrative error.
The Holiday Dream That Turned Into a Brief Windfall
Ole Fredrik Sveen was enjoying a sunset with his girlfriend in Greece in June, a glass of wine in hand after what he described as an "amazing day." The couple had even fantasised about buying a holiday home there, with Sveen joking he would "need to win the lottery first." Moments later, his phone buzzed with a text message from Norsk Tipping, Norway's state-owned gaming company.
The message stated he had won big on the Eurojackpot. Stunned, Sveen had to read it several times. Logging into the official app with shaking hands, he was met with a notification confirming a win of 1.3 million Norwegian kroner, approximately £97,000. Elated, he immediately called his mother to share the incredible news.
The Crushing Realisation of a Costly Mistake
However, Sveen's euphoria was short-lived. A growing sense of doubt led him to double-check the winning numbers against his own ticket. He discovered he had only matched two main numbers and one bonus number—a far cry from a jackpot-winning combination.
His heart sank as he realised the prize amount was impossibly large for such a match. The devastating truth soon emerged: Norsk Tipping had made a catastrophic error when converting the prize money from euros into Norwegian kroner. Instead of dividing the amounts by 100, the figures had been multiplied by 100.
What felt like a life-changing sum was, in reality, a win of around £10. Sveen was not alone; thousands of other players received the same erroneous, heart-stopping notifications.
Apologies, Resignation, and a Changed Perspective
The fallout from the error was significant. Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen publicly apologised and resigned her position just one day later. The company explained that the mistake occurred during the conversion from eurocents to Norwegian kroner, resulting in "excessively high" prize amounts being communicated.
For Sveen, the experience has permanently altered his view of gambling. He has sworn off playing the lottery, stating it now feels "tainted." He reflected on a Norwegian saying, "You’re either lucky in love or games," concluding that he must accept his luck lies in love.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the emotional impact of such errors, turning a moment of potential joy into a brief, cruel illusion for Sveen and many others.
