Posted on: May 18, 2026, 06:16h.
Last updated on: May 18, 2026, 06:16h.
- Judge freezes deadline for disputed $12.8 million Arizona lottery jackpot
- Former Circle K manager claims winning ticket bought after drawing
- Court seeks original customer amid escalating ownership dispute
A dispute between Circle K and a former employee over the ownership of a $12.8 million Arizona lottery ticket has an extra 180 days to find a resolution.
That’s after a judge in Maricopa County Superior Court granted the convenience store giant’s request for a temporary restraining order freezing the deadline to claim the controversial jackpot.
The ticket was set to expire May 23, but it remains unclear who is legally entitled to claim the prize.
In his ruling Friday, Judge Joseph Kreamer said the court was “nowhere near” deciding on the legal winner. He added an additional 180 days to the May 23 deadline to allow Circle K to provide additional information.
Take Your Pick
The dispute began on November 24, 2025, after a customer at a Circle K in Scottsdale asked a clerk to print several tickets for “The Pick,” an Arizona lottery game where players attempt to match six numbers drawn later that evening.
The clerk printed $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer only had $60 and left 25 tickets unpaid on the counter, according to a lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court. The tickets remained in the store overnight, and one of them later proved to be the winning ticket for a $12.8 million jackpot.
The jackpot ranks among the largest ever awarded in The Pick and the biggest in Arizona since 2019.
The following morning, store manager Robert Gawlitza arrived at work, clocked out, changed out of his uniform, and purchased the leftover tickets — including the eventual winner — from another employee for $10, court records state.
Circle K management later learned of the purchase and ordered that the winning ticket be secured at the company’s corporate offices while it sought a court ruling on who actually owns the ticket.
In the filing, Circle K argues that under provisions of the Arizona Administrative Code, lottery retailers maintain ownership rights over tickets that customers leave unpaid and that remain unsold. The company is asking the court to decide whether the ticket was ever legally sold, who rightfully owns it, and who should receive the $12.8 million jackpot.
Battle for $12.8 Million
Central to the dispute is whether the unpaid tickets should still be considered part of the retailer’s inventory, or whether Gawlitza’s purchase after the drawing was legitimate — or potentially an improper use of insider knowledge.
In granting the extension, Kreamer said the court needed to give Circle K more time to identify key parties in the case. These include finding the original customer who attempted to purchase the first batch of tickets and Gawlitza himself, who Circle K has thus far been unable to serve with the lawsuit because he no longer works for the company.
