Circle K has filed a lawsuit after a $12.8-million lottery ticket from Arizona’s The Pick game was printed but not paid for before the draw, and was later purchased by the manager of a Circle K store in Scottsdale.
The dispute centers on 25 unpaid tickets left over from when a customer ordered 85 tickets for the November 24, 2025, draw at the Circle K store but paid for only 60 tickets. One of these later matched the winning numbers for a $12.8-million jackpot, which was the fourth-largest prize in the game’s history, according to KTAR News and other local media.
A spokesperson for Circle K told Newsweek: “To clarify, this is a declaratory judgment complaint—not an action against any specific party. Our intent is simply to seek the court’s guidance to determine rightful ownership of this lottery ticket. Because this is an active legal matter, we have no further comment at this time.”
Newsweek has contacted the Arizona Lottery via email and the store manager via the Circle K online contact form for comment.
Why It Matters
The case has drawn attention because disputes of this nature are rare. At stake is not only a $12.8-million jackpot, but also clarification of state rules governing ownership of unsold or abandoned lottery tickets—rules that affect retailers who are required to pay for every ticket they generate, whether or not it is sold. The outcome of the case could have implications for how lottery retailers across the country handle tickets that are printed but not purchased.
What To Know
On November 24, 2025, a customer asked an employee at the Circle K store in Scottsdale to replay previously used numbers for that evening’s drawing of The Pick. The clerk printed 85 tickets, each costing $1, but the customer only paid for 60 before leaving the store. The remaining 25 tickets were set aside and not sold to another customer.
Later that day, one of the unsold tickets matched all six winning numbers, making it a jackpot winner worth $12.8 million. The prize was reported to be the fourth‑largest in the history of The Pick and the largest Arizona lottery jackpot since 2019.
According to court documents, store manager Robert Gawlitza allegedly realized one of the leftover tickets was a winner and purchased the tickets the day after the draw. The lawsuit alleges that Gawlitza clocked out of work, removed his Circle K uniform, and had another employee ring him up at the counter to buy the leftover tickets, including the winning one, for $10.
Circle K management later took possession of the ticket and has held it at the company’s corporate offices. The company filed a lawsuit on February 17, asking the Maricopa County Superior Court to determine who rightfully owns the winning ticket and is entitled to the prize.
According to the Arizona Administrative Code on the state lottery program, “If a retailer accepts a returned draw game ticket from a player or generates a draw game ticket refused by the player and the retailer does not resell the ticket, the lottery shall deem the draw game ticket to be owned by the retailer.”
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Circle K told Newsweek: “Circle K is committed to doing the right thing and maintaining a strong, transparent partnership with the Arizona Lottery. That commitment is precisely why we have asked the court how best to proceed under these unique circumstances.”
The Arizona Lottery issued a statement: “This is a unique situation and we are not aware of any prior litigation of this sort involving the Arizona Lottery.” The statement added: “The AZL [Arizona Lottery] is a nominal party to the lawsuit; there are no allegations of wrongdoing for The Arizona Lottery. The Arizona Lottery is only party to the lawsuit for the purpose of binding the AZL to any court order issued as a result of the suit.”
What Happens Next
A judge will ultimately decide how state lottery rules apply in this case, and who is legally entitled to claim the $12.8-million prize. Under Arizona law, lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. For this ticket, that deadline falls in late May 2026.
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