Circle K has sued a former store manager and the Arizona Lottery to determine who legally owns a $12.8 million jackpot ticket printed at one of its Scottsdale stores, in a Circle K lottery ticket lawsuit that an Arizona judge said in May 2026 was “nowhere near” resolution. The company is not claiming the money outright; it is asking the Maricopa County Superior Court to decide whether the rightful owner is Circle K, the manager who bought the leftover tickets after spotting the winner, or the customer who ordered them in the first place.
How the Dispute Started
On November 24, 2025, a customer at the Circle K at 56th Street and Bell Road in Scottsdale asked for $60 worth of “The Pick” tickets. The clerk printed $85 worth by mistake. The customer paid for $60 and walked out, leaving 25 tickets on the counter.1AZ Family. $12.8M Arizona Lottery Ticket Win Challenged in Court
That night’s drawing produced a $12.8 million jackpot, and the Arizona Lottery confirmed the winning ticket had been sold at that Scottsdale store.2FOX 10 Phoenix. Winning Pick Ticket Sold in Scottsdale
The next day, store manager Robert Gawlitza came to work, checked the leftover tickets, and saw that one of them matched. According to Circle K’s complaint, he clocked out, took off his uniform, and had another employee ring him up for all 25 tickets for $10.3FOX 10 Phoenix. Arizona Lottery Ticket Dispute: Court to Decide Ownership of $12.8M Jackpot1AZ Family. $12.8M Arizona Lottery Ticket Win Challenged in Court
What Circle K Is Asking the Court To Do
Circle K filed a declaratory judgment complaint on February 17, 2026, in Maricopa County Superior Court, case number CV2026-007273, naming Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery as defendants.4KTAR. Jackpot Lottery Ticket Dispute The company asked the court to declare who owns the ticket: Circle K, Gawlitza, or the unidentified customer.5New York Post. Arizona Circle K Manager Robert Gawlitza Sued for Buying $12.8M The Pick Winning Lottery Ticket
The ticket itself is being held at Circle K’s corporate offices. The Arizona Lottery has verified it as authentic and says it will hold the prize until the court decides who should receive it.6Phoenix New Times. Arizona Lottery Dispute: Circle K Claims to Jackpot
The Legal Arguments
Circle K’s Position
Circle K relies on an Arizona administrative rule covering tickets a customer refuses or returns. The rule, as quoted by the Arizona Lottery, says: “If a retailer accepts a returned draw game ticket from a player or generates a draw game ticket refused by the player and the retailer does not resell the ticket, the Lottery shall deem the draw game ticket to be owned by the retailer.”4KTAR. Jackpot Lottery Ticket Dispute State Representative Jeff Weninger offered the same reading, saying the administrative rules put ownership of overprinted tickets with the retailer.7People. Store Clerk Sued for Trying to Cash $12 Million Lottery Ticket Left Behind by Customer
The company also argues that retailers owe fees on every printed ticket whether or not it sells, so the 25 leftovers were already Circle K’s financial responsibility, and should be its property.8Chosun. Circle K Sues Manager Over $12.8M Lottery Ticket
What a Defense Might Look Like
Gawlitza has not spoken publicly, and no attorney has appeared for him. Criminal defense attorney Josh Kolsrud told FOX 10 that the central question will be whether Gawlitza can show his purchase was a coincidence rather than the use of insider knowledge. Kolsrud said the general principle is that “an employee cannot benefit from insider knowledge by purchasing a winning lottery ticket that they know is at the store.”3FOX 10 Phoenix. Arizona Lottery Ticket Dispute: Court to Decide Ownership of $12.8M Jackpot
Arizona lottery rules also bar employees from buying tickets during work hours, which appears to explain why Gawlitza clocked out and changed clothes before the purchase. Whether that was enough to make the transaction legitimate is one of the questions the court will have to decide.8Chosun. Circle K Sues Manager Over $12.8M Lottery Ticket
The Claim Deadline Was Extended
Arizona law gives winners 180 days from the drawing to claim a prize, which put the original cutoff at May 23, 2026. On May 15, 2026, Judge Joseph Kreamer granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction extending the deadline by another 180 days so the prize would not expire before the case could be resolved.9Yahoo News. Dispute Over $12.8 Million Lottery Ticket10AZ Family. Judge Delays Deadline in $12.8M Arizona Lottery Ticket Dispute
Why the Case Is Stuck
Two parties the court needs are missing. Gawlitza no longer works for Circle K and has not been served with the lawsuit; he did not appear at the May 15 hearing.10AZ Family. Judge Delays Deadline in $12.8M Arizona Lottery Ticket Dispute
The customer who ordered the tickets has never been identified and appears in court filings only as “Jane or John Doe.” Circle K has obtained a court order requiring Bank of America to turn over records that could identify the customer, presumably from the payment used for the $60 portion of the sale. As of mid-2026, that person had not been found or served.10AZ Family. Judge Delays Deadline in $12.8M Arizona Lottery Ticket Dispute6Phoenix New Times. Arizona Lottery Dispute: Circle K Claims to Jackpot
Judge Kreamer summarized the holdup at the May hearing: “We don’t even have service yet on the parties that need to be present.”6Phoenix New Times. Arizona Lottery Dispute: Circle K Claims to Jackpot Until Gawlitza and the Doe customer are located and brought into the case, the court cannot rule on who owns the ticket, and the $12.8 million stays with the lottery.