A simple math error turned disastrous for a lottery company in Norway when they accidentally multiplied by 100 instead of dividing.
Thousands of people were erroneously notified that they had won millions as a result of the blunder.
According to The Guardian, Norwegian state gambling operator Norsk Tipping ended up sending text messages to 47,000 individuals to apologise for the mishap.
On their website, Norsk Tipping explained the reason for their mistake: a calculation error resulting from currency conversion.
According to the BBC, the company received the prize amounts from Germany in euros before converting the sum into Norwegian kroner.
However, during the process, they had accidentally multiplied by 100 instead of dividing.
As a result, punters who supposedly won small amounts had their winnings amplified.
The company stated that no incorrect payouts were made.
The CEO, who has since resigned because of the incident, apologised to the public.
Source: Norsk Tipping
“I am terribly sorry that we have disappointed so many, and I understand that people are angry with us,” said the former CEO Tonje Sagstuen.
Many Norwegians were initially ecstatic when they received the text message saying they had won millions, but were left disappointed when they found out about the mistake through the news.
“You could have been really unlucky and spent a large amount of money then found out it wasn’t true,” one man said. “But thankfully we kept our heads cool and realised it wasn’t meant to be this time either.”
Many say they have lost trust in the lottery company. As a result, state authorities have begun an investigation into Norsk Tipping, calling the mistake “unacceptable”.
And this was not the first time the company had made a mistake that made headlines.
In April, the company had to apologise after an error in their systems caused delays in announcing the lottery winners.
Even earlier in February, the company also found itself in trouble when it violated gambling regulations.
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Featured image adapted from Norsk Tipping.