Published on: February 23, 2026, 01:20h.
Updated on: February 23, 2026, 01:20h.
- Circle K disputes manager’s $12.8M winning ticket claim
- Abandoned lottery ticket wins staggering jackpot
- Judge to rule on ownership of winning ticket
Circle K is appealing to an Arizona judge for a ruling on the rightful ownership of a $12.8 million lottery ticket caught in a peculiar legal battle between the convenience store chain and one of its employees.
The situation arose on November 24, 2025, when a customer at a Scottsdale Circle K requested multiple tickets for “The Pick,” a state lottery game where players aim to match six numbers during a draw later that evening.
The clerk printed $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer only had $60, leaving 25 tickets unpurchased on the counter, as stated in a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. These tickets stayed in the store overnight, with one of them winning the lucrative $12.8 million jackpot.
This jackpot is noted as one of the largest in the history of The Pick and marks the most significant win in Arizona since 2019.
Manager Purchases Winning Ticket
The store manager, Robert Gawlitza, discovered the following morning that the jackpot-winning ticket had been printed but not sold. Court documents suggest he sifted through the remaining tickets to identify the winner, clocked out, changed out of his Circle K uniform, and bought the leftover tickets, including the winning ticket, from another employee for $10.
Circle K management learned of this transaction shortly after and instructed that the ticket be secured at the corporate offices while awaiting the court’s decision on legal ownership of the prize. The complaint identifies both Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery as parties involved.
A spokesperson for the Arizona Lottery mentioned that they have never encountered a case where a store and an employee have claimed competing rights to the same winning ticket before.
“This is an unprecedented situation. We are not aware of any similar litigation related to the Arizona Lottery,” the spokesperson conveyed to local news outlets.
Determining Ticket Ownership
In its lawsuit, Circle K referenced provisions from the Arizona Administrative Code that stipulate retailers retain ownership of lottery tickets that customers leave unpaid and unsold. The company is asking the court to clarify whether the ticket was legitimately sold, its rightful owner, and who can claim the $12.8 million prize.
This case revolves around whether printed yet unpaid tickets are considered unsold inventory belonging to the retailer, or whether Gawlitza’s purchase was valid despite the draw having taken place.
However, urgency is essential. According to Arizona lottery regulations, winners of an in-state draw game like The Pick must claim their prizes within 180 days of the drawing—specifically by May 23, 2026. Failure to make a valid claim by that date could result in forfeiture or other state compensation processes.