A $12.8 million lottery jackpot has erupted into a courtroom drama in Arizona after a Circle K store manager was accused of buying a winning ticket only after realizing it was worth a fortune.
At the centre of the explosive dispute is Robert Gawlitza, a manager at a Circle K location in Scottsdale, who is now facing legal action over what could be one of the most controversial lottery wins in state history.
Court documents filed this week in Maricopa County Superior Court allege that the drama began on November 24, 2025, when a customer visited the Circle K store on East Bell Road and asked an employee to replay previously used numbers for that evening’s Pick lottery drawing. The employee printed $85 worth of tickets, but the customer paid for only $60 and walked out, leaving the remaining tickets behind.
Hours later, officials at the Arizona Lottery announced the winning numbers. One of the abandoned tickets, still sitting unclaimed inside the store, had matched all six numbers. The prize: a staggering $12.8 million. It was the fourth largest win in the history of The Pick and the biggest Arizona lottery jackpot since 2019.
According to the lawsuit, Gawlitza arrived at work the next morning and learned that a winning ticket had been printed at his store. He allegedly searched through the leftover tickets, confirmed that one was the jackpot winner, then took a dramatic step that has now landed him in legal trouble.
The filing claims Gawlitza clocked out of his shift, removed his Circle K uniform, and bought the stack of abandoned tickets, including the multimillion-dollar winner from another employee for just $10. He then signed the back of the winning ticket, a move typically used to claim ownership.
Circle K management later became aware of what had happened and intervened, ordering that the ticket be turned over to corporate headquarters, where it remains locked away as lawyers battle over who truly owns it.
The company has now launched a lawsuit against Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, asking a judge to decide who is legally entitled to the ticket and its eye-watering payout. While Circle K stopped short of outright claiming the money for itself, it pointed to Arizona Administrative Code rules stating that any lottery ticket generated by a retailer and refused by a customer becomes the property of the retailer if it is not resold.
The stakes could not be higher. The winning ticket must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing, setting a firm deadline of May 23, 2026. If the legal wrangling drags on too long, the entire fortune could hang in the balance.
Gawlitza has not publicly commented on the case and could not be reached for reaction. Circle K has also declined to comment as the courtroom showdown over the $12.8 million mystery ticket continues to unfold.
For now, one question looms large: was this the luckiest $10 purchase in Arizona history or a costly mistake that could unravel in court?
