A nearly $12.8 million lottery jackpot has turned into a complicated legal fight involving a former convenience store manager, Circle K, and a customer who originally left the winning tickets behind.
The dispute centers on a winning ticket from The Pick, an Arizona Lottery game that requires players to match all six drawn numbers to win the jackpot. Nearly a year after the drawing, nobody has collected the prize because the court has yet to determine who legally owns the ticket.
The latest development came on November 6, 2026, when Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Kreamer allowed the ownership dispute to move forward. However, the immediate focus will remain on determining who has the legal right to claim the money.
How an Unpaid Lottery Ticket Became a Jackpot Winner
The unusual story began on November 24, 2025, at a Circle K store near 56th Street and Bell Road in Scottsdale, Arizona.
According to court documents, a customer identified as Kim asked an employee to print $85 worth of lottery tickets. She paid $60 but couldn't cover the remaining $25. As a result, some of the printed tickets were left at the store.
Later that evening, the Arizona Lottery announced its winning numbers. One of the unpaid tickets turned out to be the jackpot-winning ticket worth nearly $12.8 million.
When store manager Robert Gawlitza arrived the following morning, he learned that a winning ticket had been printed at his location. After checking the remaining tickets, he realized one matched all six numbers.
Manager Bought the Ticket After Clocking Out
Circle K's lawsuit claims Gawlitza clocked out, changed out of his work uniform, and asked another employee, Marline Ybarra, to process the ticket purchase.
He reportedly paid $10 and received a receipt. Both Gawlitza and Ybarra also signed the back of the winning ticket.
Gawlitza maintains that he followed an existing store practice that allowed employees to purchase lottery tickets accidentally printed or left unpaid by customers.
His attorney, Josh Kolsrud, argued that Circle K had an unofficial policy requiring employees to buy tickets worth more than $20 when customers failed to pay for them.
In July, Gawlitza's legal team submitted statements from six current and former employees who reportedly supported his account of the workplace practice.
Gawlitza also claims the company only questioned his ownership after discovering that the ticket was worth millions. According to his lawyer, he and Ybarra had agreed to split the jackpot equally.
Circle K Disputes the Manager's Ownership Claim
Circle K strongly disagrees with Gawlitza's version of events.
The company argues that the ticket was printed at its store but was never legally sold to either the original customer or the former manager.
It also points to Arizona Lottery rules that reportedly give retailers ownership rights over overprinted or unsold tickets.
In February 2026, Circle K filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court, asking a judge to determine who legally owns the winning ticket. The company says the legal action is intended to settle the ownership question rather than target any particular employee.
However, Gawlitza isn't the only person who could potentially claim the prize.
The original customer, identified as Kim, has also become part of the ownership dispute. The court must determine whether she abandoned the unpaid tickets or simply left them behind because she couldn't afford the full purchase.
That distinction could significantly affect who ultimately receives the jackpot.
Judge Allows the Legal Dispute to Continue
The November 6 ruling allows the case to proceed, but Judge Kreamer has limited the immediate proceedings to determining ownership of the winning ticket.
Other claims, including issues related to Gawlitza's employment and termination, have been put on hold until the ownership question is resolved.
The former manager argues that he followed the store's established procedures and was unfairly fired. Circle K maintains that the $10 transaction did not legally transfer ownership of the ticket.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Lottery continues to hold the nearly $12.8 million prize. A judge previously extended the normal 180-day claim deadline, allowing the money to remain untouched while the legal battle continues.
For now, the multimillion-dollar jackpot remains unclaimed. The next major decision will be determining whether the former manager, Circle K, or the original customer has the legal right to collect the life-changing prize.
Login