A judge in Arizona is expected to rule next week on whether a $12.8 million lottery jackpot belongs to a store manager or the Circle K corporation. The dispute centres on a winning ticket for 'The Pick' sold at a Scottsdale store.
According to a lawsuit filed by Circle K in February, a clerk accidentally printed $85 worth of tickets for a customer who only wanted $60. The extra 25 tickets were set aside and remained unsold. The following day, store manager Robert Gawlitza allegedly realised one of the leftover tickets held the winning numbers and purchased the remaining stack for $10 after his shift.
Circle K contends that state administrative rules dictate that overprinted tickets remain the property of the retailer. The company is suing Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, asking the court to determine legal ownership. A lottery spokesperson said: 'This is a unique situation, and we are not aware of any prior litigation of this sort involving the Arizona Lottery.'
Local attorney Josh Kolsrud, not involved in the case, said the manager would likely need to prove he lacked knowledge of the winning numbers before buying the ticket. 'It’s clear through the rules that the tickets belonged to Circle K after they were printed out the night before,' he added.
A ruling is scheduled for May 15, and the decision is expected to set a precedent for how retailers and the state lottery handle similar disputes over misprinted or abandoned tickets.
