Arizona Convenience Store Employee Enters Legal Battle Over Multi-Million Dollar Lottery Ticket
A worker at a Circle K convenience store in Scottsdale, Arizona, has found himself at the center of a high-stakes legal confrontation after purchasing a lottery ticket worth an astonishing $12.8 million from the very store where he is employed. The situation has escalated to a courtroom, where a judge will now determine the rightful owner of this life-changing prize, as both the employee and the store management assert competing claims to the windfall.
The Unfolding of a Multi-Million Dollar Dispute
According to court documents, the sequence of events began on the evening of November 24, 2025, at a Circle K location in Scottsdale. A customer requested a replay of numbers for that night's "The Pick" lottery draw, as reported by 12News. The employee on duty, identified as Robert Gawlitza, proceeded to print tickets totaling $85 in value. However, the customer only paid $60, inadvertently leaving 25 tickets behind on the counter.
The legal complaint details that these unsold tickets remained in the store overnight and were discovered intact the following morning. After learning that his store had sold the jackpot-winning ticket, Gawlitza reportedly examined the abandoned tickets and identified the one with the winning combination: 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 26.
Employee's Actions and Store's Response
Gawlitza then completed his shift, removed his Circle K uniform, and purchased the tickets—including the winning one—from another employee for $10, as stated in the complaint. Store management was promptly alerted to the situation, leading to the ticket being secured and transferred to Circle K's corporate office. It is currently being held there pending a judicial ruling on ownership.
Circle K has not directly claimed the ticket for itself but has formally requested the court to adjudicate whether the store or Gawlitza is the legitimate owner. In its legal filing, the company referenced an Arizona Administrative Code provision that grants retailers rights to lottery tickets left unpaid by customers and which remain unsold.
Unprecedented Nature and Stakes of the Case
A spokesperson for the Arizona Lottery indicated that they were unaware of any prior dispute of this specific nature involving the state's lottery system, highlighting the unique circumstances of this case. The $12.8 million jackpot represents the fourth largest "The Pick" prize ever sold in Arizona and the most substantial since 2019.
Meanwhile, the original customer who purchased the ticket has until May 23—which is 180 days after the draw—to come forward and claim the prize. In Arizona, retailers typically receive a 6.5 percent commission on lottery sales, along with an additional $10,000 incentive for selling top prizes exceeding $1 million, adding another layer of financial interest to this complex dispute.
This legal battle underscores the intricate issues surrounding ownership, employee conduct, and retailer rights in high-value lottery scenarios, setting a potential precedent for future similar cases in the state.
