Historic Blow: 15,800 Norwegians Sue Norsk Tipping Over Draw Errors

A major legal storm is building around Norway’s state-owned gambling operator Norsk Tipping, after more than 15,800 people joined a coordinated lawsuit tied to alleged errors in lottery draws.

The case has rapidly grown in just a week and is now seen as the largest sign-up lawsuit of its kind ever seen in Norway.

Unlike what we usually witness, where most gambling disputes focus on marketing practices or player protection tools, this one is far more mechanical and potentially more damaging for public trust.

The lawsuit is linked to revelations of errors in the draw engine used for Eurojackpot in Norway, and later also for Super Lotto.

What the Lawsuit Is Claiming

Participants in the lawsuit are demanding repayment of their stakes placed on selected games over the last decade.

The premise is rather straightforward: if the draw mechanism was faulty, players argue that the bets placed during the affected period should not be treated as valid in the way Norsk Tipping presented them.

The legal team, Sands Law firm, supporting the group says the size of each claim will depend on documented play activity, which is why betting history is becoming one of the most important tools.

Lawyer Lars Tormodsgard (partner in Sands) says they will demand that Norsk Tipping produce the betting history it holds for the period the error allegedly existed, spanning 2015/2016 through 2025. He also stated they understand Norsk Tipping holds, at the very least, the last five years of gambling history.

Norsk Tipping, for its part, has acknowledged the growing number of participants. The company has stated that they have received around 25 direct inquiries from customers requesting copies of their play history.

The Risk Carriers

One reason the lawsuit has been able to scale so quickly is the financial structure behind it. Sands is working on a “no cure, no pay” basis, meaning the firm will not charge the participants if the case does not succeed.

Even more notably, the Norwegian Online Gambling Industry Association (NBO) has guaranteed it will pay the opposing party’s legal costs if the case is lost. This doesn’t particularly come off as a surprise, given that NBO is backed by affluent gambling companies.

This is a detail that matters for the broader iGaming narrative, because it ties a domestic dispute over lottery integrity to the wider ecosystem of international crypto casino operators available for Norwegians that often compete with Norway’s monopoly from outside the country’s framework.

More on the Political Pressure and the “Trust” Problem

The timing is also uncomfortable for Norsk Tipping, after a turbulent year marked by multiple errors and large financial penalties.

The total of fines and warning fines has reached NOK 120.5 million, and the company was recently warned of a NOK 1 million fine related to anti-money-laundering rules.

Norway’s culture and equality minister, Lubna Jaffery, warned that the issues uncovered at Norsk Tipping could weaken trust in the entire “enerettsmodellen”, Norway’s monopoly system for gambling.

In simpler words, this is not only about past draws, but whether the monopoly can maintain legitimacy by delivering the “safe and responsible” product it promises the public.

Why This Matters for the Wider iGaming Market

For players, the immediate question is whether courts will treat historical stakes as refundable if the underlying draw system is deemed flawed.

For Norway’s gambling landscape, the bigger question is reputational and perhaps even existential. When the monopoly’s core products are being questioned, more players may look elsewhere.

That is part of why Norway continues to attract interest in non-monopoly gambling options, including offshore and crypto platforms.

At the same time, Norsk Tipping remains the official state operator for lottery and many betting products.

With a sign-up window for the lawsuit still expected to remain open for some time, the number of claimants could grow, keeping the spotlight firmly on Norsk Tipping’s systems, transparency, and the future credibility of Norway’s monopoly model.