Arizona Circle K Manager Sued Over $12.8 Million Lottery Ticket Purchase
A Circle K manager in Arizona is embroiled in a legal dispute after allegedly purchasing a lottery ticket worth $12.8 million that he knew was a winning ticket. The convenience store chain has filed a lawsuit against the employee, Robert Gawlitza, and the Arizona Lottery, seeking a judicial determination of the ticket's rightful owner.
Alleged Sequence of Events Leading to the Lawsuit
The incident unfolded on November 24, when a customer at a Circle K location in Scottsdale requested to replay numbers for "The Pick," an Arizona Lottery game with a drawing scheduled for that evening. According to the complaint filed on Tuesday, a Circle K worker printed $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer only paid for $60 worth, leaving 25 tickets unclaimed on the counter.
Later that night, the Arizona Lottery announced the winning numbers as 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 26. One of the unclaimed tickets matched all six numbers, making it the jackpot winner worth $12.8 million. The lawsuit alleges that Gawlitza learned his store had printed the winning ticket but had not sold it, prompting him to search through the remaining tickets to locate the winner.
He then clocked out, removed his Circle K uniform, and purchased the leftover tickets, including the $12.8 million-winning ticket, from another employee for $10. Gawlitza signed the back of the ticket, but word of the transaction eventually reached Circle K management, who ordered the ticket be held at corporate offices.
Legal and Regulatory Implications
Circle K is suing Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, asking a court to determine who legally owns the ticket. Under the Arizona Administrative Code, if a retailer generates a lottery ticket that is refused by a customer and not resold, the ticket is considered property of the retailer. Circle K cited this rule in its suit but still requested the court to decide ownership.
The company is seeking a judicial ruling on whether the ticket was ever validly sold, who lawfully owns it, and who is entitled to the cash prize. The Arizona Lottery stated it was not aware of any previous instance where a store and an employee had opposing claims to a winning lottery ticket, describing the situation as unique.
Background and Context of the Lottery Drawing
The November drawing was the fourth-largest prize in the history of The Pick and the largest jackpot won in Arizona since 2019. The winning ticket must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing, or before May 23, 2026. Circle K has been contacted for comment, but Gawlitza could not be reached. This case highlights the complexities of lottery regulations and employee conduct in retail settings.
