Court Asked to Decide Who Owns $12.8 Million Lottery Ticket

Lawsuit Centers on Overprinted Tickets at Scottsdale Convenience Store

Retailer Seeks Ruling on Jackpot Claim

Scottsdale, Ariz.—Circle K has filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court asking a judge to determine who is entitled to a $12.8 million Arizona Lottery prize after a disputed winning ticket was printed at one of its Scottsdale stores. The complaint focuses on events at the Circle K on 56th Street and Bell Road, where a customer purchased lottery tickets for “The Pick,” a game in which players match six drawn numbers.

According to the filing, a clerk printed $85 worth of tickets, but the customer chose to buy only $60 worth. The remaining 25 tickets, priced at $1 each, were set aside and not sold to anyone else.

Manager Claimed Jackpot Ticket

The lawsuit states that store manager Robert Gawlitza realized the next day that one of the leftover tickets had hit the jackpot. The complaint says Gawlitza clocked out, removed his Circle K uniform and then had another employee ring up the remaining unsold tickets for $10. Those tickets included the jackpot winner.

Circle K argues that the administrative rules governing the Arizona Lottery give retailers ownership of any tickets that are overprinted and not sold to customers. The company is asking the court to determine whether the winning ticket was ever validly sold and who lawfully owns it.

Lottery Says Situation Is Unprecedented

The Arizona Lottery is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. In a statement, a spokesperson said the agency is aware of the legal action and noted the rarity of the dispute. “This is a unique situation, and we are not aware of any prior litigation of this sort involving the Arizona Lottery,” the spokesperson said.

State Rep. Jeff Weninger, a Republican from Chandler and chairman of the House Commerce Committee, said the administrative rules appear to support Circle K’s position. “It is in the administrative rules that basically says if they overprint that the retailer owns the tickets,” he said.

He added that lawmakers may look at whether changes to state law are needed once the case is resolved. “It might be something after the court case is played out that we look at and say, OK, do we need this in actual law if a situation like this happens?” Weninger said.

Legal Questions Still Unanswered

Circle K is asking the court to determine three key issues: whether the ticket was validly sold, whether Gawlitza lawfully purchased it, and who is entitled to the $12.8 million prize. Attorneys for Circle K declined to comment on the case, and Gawlitza did not respond to a request for comment.

The complaint does not reveal who currently holds the winning ticket, but the retailer’s filing indicates that Gawlitza attempted to claim it after ringing up the unsold batch.

The dispute now awaits a judge’s decision, which could have wider implications for how retailers handle misprinted or overprinted lottery tickets in the future.