News writer, Interviewer
Can Norway's state-owned lottery operator survive another scandal?
Norsk Tipping just landed its second fine for Supertrekning (Superdraw) lottery errors. The penalty is 25 million kroner ($2.5 million). Add that to the earlier 46 million kroner ($4.5 million) fine, and you're looking at serious consequences.
What went wrong this time?
The Easter weekend draw on April 19 produced 52 incorrect winners. Each walked away with 1 million kroner ($100,000) they shouldn't have received.
The problem started before the draw. Norsk Tipping deleted entries from players who had participated in the Christmas and New Year draws. Lottstift, the regulatory authority, caught wind of the error and considered pulling the draw entirely.
But Norsk Tipping assured them everything would run correctly. The draw proceeded. Even after completion, Norsk Tipping insisted the draw was clean. Lottstift investigated anyway and found the opposite.
How does Supertrekning work?
Supertrekning happens four times a year. It's an extra draw that runs alongside the regular Lotto main draw, broadcast on NRK. The pot typically holds between 25 and 50 million kroner. If the prize contains 35 million kroner, 35 winners will be drawn. Each receives 1 million kroner.
Entry is automatic when you buy a Lotto ticket. Each row you play equals one entry. Play ten rows over five weeks and you've secured 50 entries for the next Supertrekning. You can't buy into Supertrekning separately. It's bundled with your Lotto purchase.
If a Supertrekning occurs during a multi-week game, your remaining rows carry over to the next draw.
What did regulators say?
Tore Bell, director at the Gambling Authority, criticized Norsk Tipping for claiming the draw was conducted correctly without verifying that all ticket buyers actually participated. He warned that this failure threatens to undermine public trust in the company.
A pattern emerges
This isn't Norsk Tipping's first issue this year.
Earlier in 2025, a system error sent false winning notifications to 30,000 players. The culprit was faulty code that multiplied prize amounts by 100 instead of dividing by 100. This mistake cost the company 10 million kroner ($1 million) in fines.
Then there's the self-exclusion error. Players couldn't block themselves from gambling apps on iPhone and iPad for four months. One player mistakenly received 25 million kroner ($2.4 million) on KongKasino.
These errors prompted CEO Tonje Sagstuen to step down in June 2025.
What happens next?
Norsk Tipping has three weeks to respond before regulators finalize the 25 million kroner fine.
Bell announced a larger inspection coming this fall. The regulator plans to examine Lotto, Eurojackpot, and Vikinglotto. The message is clear: Norsk Tipping needs to sharpen its routines, controls, and quality standards.
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