A legal battle has emerged over the rightful ownership of a winning lottery ticket worth $12.8 million, with a Circle K store clerk maintaining that he simply followed company policy when he purchased a set of abandoned lottery tickets.According to reports by ABC 15 Arizona, AZ Family, and 12 News Phoenix, Circle K filed a complaint in February against store clerk Robert Gawlitza, alleging that he attempted to claim the jackpot from a winning Arizona Lottery ticket that had been left behind by a customer at one of its stores on November 24, 2025.
How the dispute began
As reported by these publications, the customer purchased multiple tickets for Arizona’s The Pick lottery game. While the customer paid for $60 worth of tickets, the lottery terminal had printed $85 worth, leaving $25 worth of unpaid tickets on the counter.The tickets reportedly remained unclaimed in the store overnight. After the winning numbers were announced the following morning, Gawlitza allegedly purchased the abandoned tickets from another employee after completing his work shift.Circle K contends that Gawlitza later attempted to claim the jackpot, prompting the company to seek a court’s guidance on who legally owns the winning ticket.
Clerk says he followed company policy
Speaking to ABC 15 Arizona, Gawlitza’s attorney Josh Kolsrud defended his client, saying the longtime employee acted in accordance with established store procedures.Kolsrud claimed that Circle K policy requires employees to purchase any lottery tickets that are accidentally printed but remain unsold. He further told ABC 15 Arizona that Gawlitza contacted his district manager to confirm he was permitted to buy the tickets before doing so and completed the purchase through another store employee.“My client wanted to do the right thing,” Kolsrud said.
Fired after 20 years
Kolsrud told ABC 15 Arizona and 12 News Phoenix that Gawlitza was contacted by Circle K management on January 30 and was subsequently dismissed from the company, where he had worked for nearly two decades, for allegedly violating store policy.“He loved his job, he would love to go back,” Kolsrud told ABC 15 Arizona, adding that Gawlitza’s primary goal is now to clear his name and demonstrate that he followed company policies.
Circle K seeks court clarification
Circle K previously said in a statement to People magazine that it remains committed to doing the right thing and maintaining a transparent relationship with the Arizona Lottery.The company stated that the filing should not be viewed as a lawsuit against a specific individual but rather as a declaratory judgment complaint seeking judicial clarification on the rightful ownership of the winning ticket.According to multiple US media outlets, the Arizona Lottery is currently holding the $12.8 million prize until the legal dispute is resolved.
