The Arizona lottery ticket lawsuit is a legal battle over a $12.8 million Arizona Lottery jackpot that was won by a ticket printed at a Circle K store in Scottsdale.
What makes the case unusual is that the winning ticket was printed but apparently not purchased by the customer who originally requested the lottery tickets. The ticket was later bought by a Circle K store manager after he discovered that one of the leftover tickets had won the jackpot.
Circle K then went to court to determine who legally owns the winning ticket and the $12.8 million prize. The Arizona Lottery is holding the prize while the dispute is resolved.
What Happened to the $12.8 Million Lottery Ticket?
The dispute began with a November 2025 drawing of The Pick, an Arizona Lottery game in which players select six numbers.
According to the lawsuit filed by Circle K, a customer visited a Circle K located near 56th Street and Bell Road in Scottsdale and asked for $60 worth of lottery tickets.
However, the store clerk reportedly printed $85 worth of tickets. The customer paid for only the $60 worth of tickets requested.
That left 25 additional tickets that had been printed but were not purchased.
The extra tickets were set aside at the store. One of those tickets eventually matched all six winning numbers and became a $12.8 million jackpot ticket.
How Did the Store Manager Get the Winning Ticket?
The next day, store manager Robert Gawlitza reportedly discovered that one of the leftover tickets was the jackpot winner.
According to court allegations, Gawlitza clocked out, removed his work uniform and purchased the remaining tickets, including the winning ticket.
He later sought to claim the $12.8 million prize.
Gawlitza has disputed Circle K’s characterization of his actions. In July 2026, his attorney said that he had followed a store policy requiring employees to purchase leftover lottery tickets and that Circle K only challenged the purchase after learning that the ticket was worth millions of dollars.
That disagreement is now one of the central issues in the lawsuit.
Why Did Circle K File a Lawsuit?
Circle K filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court in February 2026.
The company asked the court to determine who has the legal right to the winning ticket and its proceeds.
Rather than simply allowing one person to claim the prize, Circle K sought a court ruling because several competing claims had emerged.
The case is essentially asking the court to sort out questions such as:
- Was the winning ticket ever legally sold?
- Who owned the ticket before the drawing?
- Could the store manager legally purchase the leftover ticket?
- Does Circle K have an ownership interest?
- Does the original customer have a claim?
- Do employees have restrictions on purchasing lottery tickets?
- Who should receive the $12.8 million prize?
Did the Original Customer Buy the Winning Ticket?
This is one of the most important parts of the dispute.
According to Circle K’s lawsuit, the customer did not pay for the 25 additional tickets that had been printed.
The customer paid for $60 worth of tickets, while the clerk had printed $85 worth.
The remaining tickets were reportedly set aside rather than sold to another customer.
That distinction matters because the winning ticket was apparently printed at the customer’s request but never paid for.
The legal question is therefore different from a normal situation where someone buys a ticket and then loses it.
Here, the parties are disputing whether the ticket ever belonged to the customer in the first place.
What Happened to the Original Customer?
The identity and location of people who could potentially have claims became another complication in the case.
During a May 2026 court hearing, it was reported that the court and attorneys were having difficulty locating some people connected to the disputed ticket.
The situation became even more complicated as additional potential claimants emerged.
This has contributed to the delay in determining who ultimately receives the jackpot.
Former Manager Says He Followed Company Policy
Gawlitza has strongly disputed the suggestion that he improperly took advantage of his position.
In his July 2026 response to the lawsuit, he claimed that Circle K had a policy requiring employees to purchase leftover lottery tickets in certain situations.
He argued that his purchase was consistent with that policy.
Gawlitza also claimed that Circle K only objected after discovering that the ticket had won millions of dollars.
He reportedly worked for the company for about 20 years and was fired after the dispute over the ticket arose.
The allegations from Circle K and Gawlitza’s response are disputed, so the court will ultimately have to determine which legal and factual arguments control.
Another Person Has Also Claimed an Interest
The case became even more complicated when Marline Ybarra, a former Circle K employee, became involved.
Ybarra was reportedly connected to the ticket and has asserted an interest in the winnings.
Reports say Gawlitza and Ybarra were expected to split the winnings, although the exact nature of their agreement and the legal validity of that arrangement remain disputed.
That means the case is no longer simply a dispute between Circle K and one former manager.
There are potentially multiple competing claims to the same lottery prize.
What Does Arizona Lottery Say?
The Arizona Lottery is involved because it is responsible for the prize but has not simply paid the money to one of the competing claimants.
The lottery is effectively waiting for the ownership dispute to be resolved.
This is important because the lottery itself does not necessarily decide complicated ownership disputes between people or businesses.
Instead, the court can determine who has the legal right to the ticket and prize.
The Arizona Lottery has reportedly described the situation as an unusual or unprecedented case.
Why Was the Lottery Claim Deadline Extended?
Normally, lottery tickets have a limited period in which winners must claim their prizes.
The $12.8 million ticket was approaching its May 23, 2026 expiration deadline.
However, because the ticket was the subject of an active legal dispute, a judge issued a temporary restraining order in May that effectively prevented the normal deadline from ending the dispute.
The judge gave the court additional time—180 days—to determine who is legally entitled to the prize.
This was important because otherwise the parties could have faced a major problem if the claim deadline passed while the ownership question was still unresolved.
Has Anyone Received the $12.8 Million?
No final winner has been determined.
The Arizona Lottery is holding the prize while the court case continues.
This means that although there is a winning ticket worth approximately $12.8 million, the person legally entitled to collect the money has not yet been established.
The dispute is therefore not about whether the ticket won.
The ticket did win.
The major question is who legally owns it.
Could Circle K Keep the Money?
Circle K has asked the court to determine the rightful ownership of the ticket, but that does not automatically mean the company will receive the $12.8 million.
The company’s lawsuit is largely aimed at getting legal clarity over ownership and protecting itself from potential liability.
If multiple people claim the same ticket, paying one person without resolving the competing claims could expose the lottery or retailer to additional legal disputes.
The court will therefore have to examine the circumstances surrounding the ticket’s creation, sale, possession and purchase.
What Are the Main Legal Questions?
Several issues could determine the final outcome.
Was the Ticket Actually Sold?
The ticket was printed, but the original customer reportedly did not pay for it.
The court will need to determine what that means under Arizona law and lottery rules.
Who Owned the Ticket Before the Drawing?
Ownership could depend on whether the ticket was considered the property of the customer, retailer or nobody until it was purchased.
Could the Manager Purchase It?
The court may need to examine rules governing lottery retailers and employees.
The circumstances of the manager’s purchase could be particularly important because he reportedly knew the ticket was a winner before purchasing it.
Was Company Policy Followed?
Gawlitza claims he followed Circle K’s policy concerning leftover lottery tickets.
Circle K disputes his position.
The court could examine company policies, employee rules and the circumstances surrounding the transaction.
Does Another Person Have a Claim?
The emergence of other potential claimants means the court may need to determine whether anyone else has a legal interest in the ticket or its proceeds.
Arizona Lottery Ticket Lawsuit Timeline
| Date | Event |
| Nov. 24, 2025 | Customer requests $60 worth of The Pick tickets at a Scottsdale Circle K |
| Nov. 24, 2025 | Clerk reportedly prints $85 worth of tickets |
| Nov. 24, 2025 | Extra tickets are left unpaid and set aside |
| Nov. 24, 2025 | One leftover ticket wins the $12.8 million jackpot |
| Nov. 25, 2025 | Store manager Robert Gawlitza reportedly purchases the remaining tickets |
| Feb. 2026 | Circle K files lawsuit seeking a ruling on ownership |
| May 2026 | Judge extends the claim deadline by 180 days |
| June–July 2026 | Additional claims and legal arguments emerge |
| August 2026 | Ownership dispute remains unresolved |
Latest Update on the Arizona Lottery Ticket Lawsuit
As of August 2026, the $12.8 million Arizona Lottery ticket lawsuit has not been resolved.
The judge has extended the normal deadline for claiming the prize while the parties and potential claimants work through the legal dispute.
The former Circle K manager continues to argue that he legally purchased the ticket and followed company policy. Circle K is seeking a court determination of who owns the ticket, while other individuals may also have claims.
The Arizona Lottery is holding the winnings until the ownership question is resolved.
What Happens Next?
The next major step is for the Maricopa County Superior Court to determine the legal ownership of the winning ticket.
The court may have to examine:
- The original customer’s transaction
- The store’s ticket-printing records
- Circle K’s employee policies
- Arizona Lottery rules
- The circumstances of the manager’s purchase
- Claims made by other individuals
- Whether the original customer has a valid ownership claim
The case could ultimately determine not only who receives the $12.8 million jackpot but also whether retailers and lottery employees need clearer rules for handling printed but unpaid lottery tickets.
Bottom Line
The Arizona lottery ticket lawsuit involves a $12.8 million The Pick jackpot ticket printed at a Scottsdale Circle K in November 2025.
A customer requested $60 worth of tickets, but the clerk reportedly printed $85 worth. Twenty-five tickets were left unpaid, and one of them later matched all six winning numbers.
The store manager, Robert Gawlitza, discovered the winning ticket and later purchased the leftover tickets. He says he followed company policy, while Circle K has challenged the transaction and asked a court to determine who legally owns the jackpot.
The case became even more complicated when other potential claimants emerged. A judge has temporarily extended the normal claim deadline, and the $12.8 million prize remains unresolved as of August 2026.
The key issue is simple but legally complicated: Who owns a winning lottery ticket that was printed for a customer but never paid for, and was later purchased by a store employee after the winning numbers were known?
That is what the Arizona court must ultimately decide.