Circle K Manager Faces $12.8 Million Lottery Dispute in Arizona
Background of the Incident
A controversy has emerged involving a Circle K employee named Robert Gawlitza in Scottsdale, Arizona. Gawlitza reportedly discovered a lottery ticket left behind in the store that turned out to be a winner of a $12.8 million prize.
Details of the Lottery Ticket Purchase
On the evening of Monday, November 24, while assisting a customer, the employee was asked to print 85 $1 lottery tickets for “The Pick” drawing. However, he only paid for 60 tickets totaling $60, leaving 25 tickets unpaid.
The unpaid tickets remained on the store counter overnight. When news broke that the winning ticket had been sold at the store, Gawlitza is alleged to have scanned the leftover tickets until identifying the winner with the numbers 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 26. He is then said to have left work, changed out of his uniform, and purchased the abandoned tickets, including the jackpot-winning one, for a total of $10.
Following this event, Circle K took control of the ticket and secured it at their corporate office as the dispute over rightful ownership led to legal proceedings to determine who is entitled to the $12.8 million prize.
Legal Issues and Lottery Position
Circle K’s lawsuit claims ownership over any tickets left unpaid or abandoned in the store. Meanwhile, the lottery commission describes the situation as unprecedented and complicated, stating it has no prior experience handling such claims. Regardless of the outcome, whoever holds the ticket legally will have until May 23, 2026, to claim the prize, adhering to the usual 180-day claim period after the drawing.
