Published on: May 5, 2026, 08:10h.
Updated on: May 5, 2026, 08:10h.
- Circle K requests court intervention regarding $12.8 million lottery ticket
- Store manager reportedly purchased winning ticket upon realizing its worth
- Legal battle revolves around ownership rules and claims of insider knowledge
Circle K has approached an Arizona court to prevent a $12.8 million winning lottery ticket from expiring within the next three weeks while the ownership dispute is addressed, as reported by KPNX 12 News.
The retailer is pursuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Arizona Lottery from enforcing the expiration date of May 23 on the ticket, which has become the focal point of a unique legal conflict between the convenience store chain and an employee.
Unpaid Ticket Transaction
The issue began on November 24, 2025, when a customer at a Circle K in Scottsdale requested the clerk to print several tickets for “The Pick,” a state lottery game where players must match six drawn numbers.
The clerk printed $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer only had $60, leaving 25 tickets unsold on the counter, according to a lawsuit lodged in Maricopa County Superior Court. Those tickets were left in the store overnight, and one emerged as a winner, boasting a $12.8 million jackpot.
This jackpot ranks as one of the largest in the history of The Pick and is the highest in Arizona since 2019.
The following morning, store manager Robert Gawlitza came into work, clocked out, changed out of his uniform, and bought the leftover tickets, inclusive of the winning one, from another employee for $10, as stated in court documents.
Circle K management quickly took notice of the sale and ordered that the ticket be secured at the company’s headquarters pending a court decision on its rightful ownership. The lawsuit mentions both Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery as defendants.
In its complaint, Circle K referenced sections of the Arizona Administrative Code, which stipulate that retailers maintain property claims on lottery tickets left unpaid and unsold by customers. The company is asking the court to clarify whether the ticket was ever validly sold, who its rightful owner is, and who is entitled to the $12.8 million prize.
Allegations of Insider Knowledge
A key issue is whether the unpaid printed tickets should be classified as the retailer’s stock, or if Gawlitza’s purchase post-draw was legitimate or an exploit of insider information.
“Who goes to their car and changes their clothes to come back in to buy tickets unless there was a premeditated thought?” attorney Josh Kolsrud remarked to 12 News. “If any evidence arises that he was aware of the winning status of the ticket and acted on that insider knowledge, Circle K could prevail in this case.”
A hearing is set for May 15.