Employee Accused of Buying Winning Ticket After Knowing its Value
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — A rare lawsuit is being reviewed in court as a Circle K store manager is accused of buying a $12.8 million jackpot-winning lottery ticket from his own store after knowing its value.
According to documents filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, Robert Gawlitza, an employee at a Circle K store in Scottsdale, was working the evening of November 24 when a customer requested to print a set of numbers for The Pick drawing.
The lawsuit states that the employee printed $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer only paid $60, leaving 25 unpaid tickets on the counter. These tickets remained at the store overnight.
Scanning Tickets and Discovering the Jackpot
The next morning, Gawlitza allegedly became aware that his store had sold a jackpot-winning ticket. He scanned the leftover tickets and found the winning ticket with the numbers 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, 26.
According to reports from local media, Gawlitza finished his shift, changed out of his uniform, and bought the tickets, including the winning one, from another employee for $10.
Circle K Requests Court Adjudication
The Circle K management then requested to hold the ticket at the company office until the court decides its ownership. In the lawsuit filed against Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, Circle K cites the Arizona Administrative Code, which states that retailers have rights to lottery tickets that customers refuse to pay for and which should not be sold.
The company does not directly claim ownership of the prize but asks the court to adjudicate between the claimants.
The Arizona Lottery stated that this is a "unique" situation, with no similar disputes involving a store and an employee over a jackpot ever recorded.
Fourth Largest Prize in The Pick History
The $12.8 million prize is the fourth largest ever sold in The Pick program in Arizona and the biggest since 2019. According to regulations, the winner has 180 days from the draw date to claim the prize, with the deadline being May 23.
Retailers in Arizona receive a 6.5% commission on lottery ticket sales and can earn an additional $10,000 bonus if they sell a ticket worth over $1 million.
The court will decide who is the legal owner of this $12.8 million ticket.
