(NewsNation) — Thousands of Norwegian lottery players thought they’d finally hit the jackpot and become millionaires, only to find out it was an error.
A conversion error led “several thousand” players in Norway to be notified that they’d won big.
Prize amounts, originally in euro cents, were multiplied by 100 rather than divided by 100 when converted into Norwegian kroner, according to local media.
Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-owned gambling company, called the calculation mistake and the ensuing chaos a “manual error” in a statement one day later.
“Norsk Tipping sincerely apologizes to everyone who was notified of an incorrect prize amount,” the company said.
Norsk Tipping added that “incorrect prize amounts were removed from the website and app on Friday evening.”
According to the company, no customers were able to cash in their incorrect prize, though some had already started planning what to do with their winnings.
Norsk Tipping CEO Tonje Sagstuen apologized and stepped down from her role Saturday.
“I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us,” Sagstuen said in a statement.
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