Norsk Tipping CEO Resigns After Massive Payout Notification Error
Tonje Sagstuen has stepped down as CEO of Norsk Tipping following a high-profile blunder that saw tens of thousands of Norwegians mistakenly told they had won substantial lottery prizes.
41,000 Players Affected by Eurojackpot Error
The incident at the centre of the resignation occurred last week, when over 41,000 users were notified of erroneous Eurojackpot winnings. Around 16,000 of those affected received push notifications stating they had won large cash prizes—messages that inflated the actual prize amount by a factor of 10,000.
Norsk Tipping later confirmed the incident was due to human error. While no funds were paid out based on the incorrect notifications, the event sparked widespread criticism and forced an internal response.
Sagstuen, who assumed the CEO role in September 2023 after more than a decade with the company, formally resigned this week. In a public statement, she acknowledged her responsibility for the operational failure.
“As a manager, it has been my responsibility to handle the errors that have occurred, and it has been very gratifying to see how a united Norsk Tipping has responded to the challenges and worked day and night to solve them,” Sagstuen said.
The company’s Board of Directors accepted her resignation with full support, while also recognising her contributions. “I would like to thank Tonje for the important and good job she has done for the company and for the improvement work she has initiated,” said Chair of the Board Sylvia Brustad.
Political Oversight and Institutional Reform
The resignation has not silenced political concern. Norway’s Minister of Culture, Lubna Jaffery, under whose ministry Norsk Tipping operates, emphasised the importance of public trust in the country’s gambling monopoly model.
“We take note of Tonje Sagstuen’s departure. As I have said, Norsk Tipping is completely dependent on having the trust of the people. The exclusive model depends on that. The Ministry will continue to follow up with the board, such mistakes should not happen and we expect the board to work actively to improve control routines,” Jaffery stated.
Brustad echoed this sentiment, acknowledging multiple points of failure and stressing that steps are being taken to strengthen internal controls. “We apologise for the mistake, which should not have happened. There were several human failures in this matter, unfortunately. But we are now fully focused on correcting it,” she said.
The episode adds to what has already been a turbulent year for Norsk Tipping. Earlier in 2025, the company introduced stricter loss limits for younger players, and more recently, it has faced scrutiny from the Norwegian Lottery Authority following reports that minors may have gained access to its casino offerings.
Norsk Tipping is wholly owned by the Norwegian government and holds exclusive rights to operate most forms of gambling in the country.