A $12.8 million Arizona Lottery prize is at risk of slipping away as a court fight ramps up over who actually owns the winning ticket.
Circle K seeks to pause looming lottery deadline
Circle K has gone to court asking a judge to freeze the clock before a May 23 deadline that would otherwise wipe out the winnings under lottery rules. The company is not asking for an immediate ruling on ownership. Instead, it wants time to sort out a lawsuit that now involves the store, a clerk, and the Arizona Lottery.
Disputed ticket traced back to Scottsdale store
The ticket in question came from a November drawing of “The Pick” and was sold at a Circle K near Bell Road and 56th Street in Scottsdale. According to court filings, a customer asked for $85 in tickets but only paid $60, leaving 25 tickets behind at the counter. One of those tickets later hit all six numbers, triggering the $12.8 million win.
Circle K’s lawsuit argues that those leftover tickets were never legally purchased and therefore remained the store’s property under Arizona Lottery policy.
Ownership dispute raises questions about conduct
What happened the next morning has become the center of the legal fight. Court records say store manager Robert Gawlitza discovered the unclaimed tickets, then clocked out, changed clothes, and returned to the store to buy them for $10.
That sequence is now under scrutiny, with questions about whether he acted as a private customer or used knowledge gained on the job. The lawsuit suggests the timing could point to insider awareness that a winning ticket had been sold at that location.
Legal experts weigh in on insider knowledge claims
Attorney Josh Kolsrud, who is not involved in the case, said those details may carry significant weight. “Who goes out to their car and changes their clothing to come in to purchase tickets unless you have a plan?” Kolsrud said. He added that what the manager knew in that moment could ultimately decide the case.
If there’s any evidence that he was aware of what was going on, and used that knowledge, that insider knowledge, to buy that ticket, Circle K wins this case,” Kolsrud said.
Court asked to halt enforcement of claim deadline
Circle K is also asking the court to block the Arizona Lottery from enforcing the 180-day claim deadline while the dispute plays out. Without that pause, the ticket could expire before a judge determines ownership.
“It’s basically Circle K telling the lottery to push the brakes and not do anything until Judge Kramer decides the issues in the case,” Kolsrud said.
High-stakes outcome hinges on upcoming hearing
The signed ticket is currently locked in a safe at Circle K’s corporate office as the case moves forward. A hearing on the request for a temporary restraining order is scheduled for May 15.
The final decision holds multiple implications, both for jackpot ownership and, even more rarely for the lottery, an insider trading angle due to the day-after ticket purchase. If no legal action is taken before May 23, the multimillion-dollar prize could become worthless, leaving the high-stakes dispute with nothing to claim.
Featured image: MaiaWierer, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
