Norsk Tipping has stopped group betting (“andelsspill”) on Eurojackpot after they found a major error in the draw. The problem, which gave group players an unfair advantage in the Norwegian Eurojackpot extra prize, is described as “very serious” by the company.

Player Discovered Group Betters Had an Advantage over Single Players

The problem was discovered when a player noticed some irregularities and raised the issue in a Facebook group for Eurojackpot syndicates. The player saw that several groups in the Facebook group had won the national extra prize, 1 million NOK, four times in two months, which is statistically impossible. This led to further investigation and media coverage in VG, who then contacted Norsk Tipping. After an internal investigation started last Wednesday, Norsk Tipping found that group betters were overrepresented among the winners. According to communications advisor Roar Jødahl, the error was in the company’s lottery engine.

The Impact of the Error

An andelslag (group bet) is supposed to get a limited number of entries based on the total number of tickets bought by the group. But due to the system error, each player in the group got the total number of entries for the whole group. For example, if a group of 40 players was supposed to get 1,600 entries in total, each player in the group got 1,600 entries instead, making their chances of winning much higher. Jødahl said this only affected the Norwegian extra prize draw and not the main Eurojackpot draw. “This is a big mistake and we should have caught it sooner,” he said. Norsk Tipping has now reported the error to Norway’s gambling regulator, Lotteritilsynet.

Immediate Action and Implications

Norsk Tipping has therefore suspended the group betting feature for Eurojackpot until further notice. The company is now conducting an investigation to find out how long this has been going on and to prevent similar errors in the future. Despite the error, Norsk Tipping has confirmed that winners who benefited from the flawed system will not have to return their winnings as they did not knowingly exploit the mistake.

Regulatory and Industry Impact

This is a big problem for the integrity of lottery systems and highlights the importance of technical control. Other regulators and operators will see this as a warning, that testing and auditing of lottery draw systems is crucial. Norway is the only country in Europe that has a national extra draw in Eurojackpot, so this is an isolated issue. But it shows the vulnerabilities of digital lottery systems if not reviewed regularly.

A Blow to Norway’s Gambling Monopoly

This will question the Norwegian state monopoly. Norway is one of the last in Europe to have a state-run monopoly on lottery and casino. The argument is that a state-run system ensures player safety and trust. But this will fuel the debate, especially with the upcoming elections in Norway. Critics of the monopoly will use this as an example that competition and independent control is needed to ensure fairness and integrity in the gambling industry.