A Maricopa County judge 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 stems from a February lawsuit filed in Superior Court regarding a winning ticket for “The Pick” sold at a Scottsdale, Arizona location on 56th Street and Bell Road.
According to the complaint reportedly filed by Circle K, a clerk accidentally printed $85 worth of tickets for a customer who only intended to buy $60 worth. The extra 25 tickets were set aside and remained unsold to the public.
The lawsuit alleges that the following day, store manager Robert Gawlitza realized one of the leftover tickets held the winning numbers. After finishing his shift and removing his uniform, Gawlitza reportedly purchased the remaining stack of tickets for $10.
Circle K contends that state administrative rules dictate that overprinted tickets remain the property of the retailer.
Circle K is suing Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery and asking for a judge to determine who legally owns the ticket.
“This is a unique situation, and we are not aware of any prior litigation of this sort involving the Arizona Lottery,” a spokesperson for the lottery said in a statement to Arizona’s Family.
Josh Kolsrud, a local attorney not involved in the litigation, told the outlet that the store manager would likely be required to prove he lacked knowledge of the winning numbers prior to his purchase of the ticket.
“It’s clear through the rules that the tickets belonged to Circle K after they were printed out the night before,” Kolsrud said.
A ruling is scheduled for May 15. The decision is expected to establish a precedent for how retailers and the state lottery handle similar disputes over misprinted or abandoned tickets.
