An Arizona convenience store employee is in legal trouble after purchasing a $12.8 million lottery ticket from the store where he worked. A judge will now decide who should receive the prize, as both the store and the worker claim it.A court complaint says the incident began on the evening of Nov. 24, 2025, at Circle K in Scottsdale. According to 12News , a customer asked for a replay of the numbers from that night’s “The Pick” drawing. The employee on duty, Robert Gawlitza, printed $85 worth of tickets, but the customer only paid $60, leaving 25 tickets on the counter.The complaint alleges that unsold tickets were left at the store overnight and were found intact the next morning. After learning that the lottery ticket had been sold at his store, Goliza reportedly checked the discarded lottery tickets and found the winning ticket. The winning numbers are 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 26.The complaint alleges that Gawlitza took off his Circle K uniform after get off work and purchased tickets, including the winning ticket, from another employee for $10.Store management was alerted and the ticket was taken to Circle K’s corporate offices, where it is currently being stored pending a court ruling on ownership.Circle K itself has not claimed the ticket but has asked the court to determine whether it or Gawlitza is the rightful owner. In its filing, the company cited a provision of Arizona administrative law that gives retailers the right to obtain unpaid and unsold lottery tickets from customers.An Arizona Lottery spokesman said it was aware of no such disputes involving the state lottery before.The $12.8 million jackpot is the fourth-largest “The Pick” jackpot ever in Arizona and the largest since 2019. Customers who purchased the original ticket have until May 23, 180 days after the drawing, to claim their prize. Arizona retailers receive a 6.5% commission on ticket sales and receive an additional $10,000 when top prize sales exceed $1 million.
