Dispute centers on unsold tickets, training and ownership of a winning lottery ticket
A legal fight has emerged in Scottsdale over a winning lottery ticket worth just under $13 million after the ticket was discovered in a supply of unsold tickets at a local Circle K store. The dispute pits a former store manager against Circle K corporate and raises questions about who has the legal right to prize proceeds when tickets are printed but not paid for.
The episode stretches back to November of last year. A woman purchased $85 in tickets from the store but paid only $60. According to the former manager, that left some tickets unpaid and available the next morning. The manager, identified in court filings and interviews as Robert Gawlitza, says he bought the remaining tickets that morning and later discovered one was a winner worth nearly $13 million.
"It really broke my heart. My father's name is tarnished. That's how I felt. Really, it hurt me," the former manager said, describing the fallout.
What each side says
Gawlitza's legal team says company policy and training support his claim. Attorney Josh Kolsrud told reporters their evidence includes the employee handbook and sworn statements from coworkers. Kolsrud said the store's practice was for the manager and the clerk who printed unsold tickets to purchase them. He described the former manager's conduct in detail: clocking out, removing his uniform shirt, buying and signing the ticket, then clocking back in. He also says Gawlitza offered to split potential winnings with the coworker who printed the tickets.
Circle K's corporate office has taken possession of the physical winning ticket and contends the prize belongs to the company. The chain's legal team has not publicly released its full rationale, and corporate representatives declined to comment further on the specifics in the reports available about the case.
Local implications and broader context
For Scottsdale residents this is more than a courtroom drama. Large lottery prizes can spur intense, often public fights over ownership — involving store policies, employee actions and the chain's internal rules. The case highlights two practical issues for local consumers and workers:
- Ticket control and payment. When tickets are printed but not paid for, who bears responsibility — the customer, the clerk who printed them, or management?
- Workplace policies and training. Employers' written policies and the way staff are trained can determine ownership claims when high-value tickets are involved.
The practical outcome of this dispute could prompt retailers and convenience stores across the Phoenix area to review how they handle unpaid or unclaimed tickets, and how employees are trained to document transactions to avoid similar conflicts.
Timeline
| When | Event |
|---|---|
| November (last year) | Customer buys $85 in tickets but pays $60; some tickets remain unpaid. |
| Next morning | Former manager buys the unsold tickets and discovers a winning ticket worth nearly $13 million. |
| After discovery | Circle K corporate takes possession of the winning ticket; manager is fired and files suit. |
At issue now are sworn statements from coworkers and how the company's policies are interpreted by both sides. The case will likely unfold through filings and, potentially, court hearings that could set a precedent for how similar disputes are resolved locally.
As this story develops, Scottsdale shoppers and Circle K employees will be watching for how corporate policy and worker training influence legal claims to high-value lottery prizes in Arizona.
