An Arizona comfort retailer supervisor is going through a lawsuit for allegedly buying a $12.8 million lottery ticket after confirming it was a winner.
Robert Gawlitza, an worker at a Circle Okay location in Scottsdale, was engaged on November 24 when a buyer requested to replay numbers for “The Pick,” an Arizona Lottery recreation that was having a drawing that night time, 12 News reported.
The grievance, filed on Tuesday, claims a Circle Okay employee printed $85 value of $1 tickets, however the buyer solely paid for $60 value, leaving the remaining 25 tickets on the counter.
Later that night time, the Arizona Lottery introduced the profitable numbers — and one of many unclaimed tickets matched all six numbers, making it value $12.8 million.
Gawlitza allegedly realized his retailer had printed the jackpot winner however didn’t promote it and went by way of the remaining tickets to search out the winner, the lawsuit claims.
He then clocked out, took off his Circle Okay uniform and purchased the leftover tickets — together with the $12.8 million-winning ticket — from one other worker for $10, and signed the again of the ticket, the lawsuit says.
The profitable numbers have been 3, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 26.
However, phrase bought again to Circle Okay administration concerning the transaction and the corporate ordered the ticket be held at its company workplaces.
Circle Okay is suing Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery and asking for a decide to find out who legally owns the ticket.
Under the Arizona Administrative Code, if a retailer generates a lottery ticket that’s refused by a buyer and never resold, the ticket is taken into account property of the retailer, in line with the report.
Circle Okay cited this rule in its swimsuit, however nonetheless requested the court docket to resolve who ought to obtain the ticket. The firm is asking a court docket to find out whether or not the ticket was ever validly offered, who lawfully owns the ticket and who’s entitled to the money prize, AZFamily reported.
The Independent has contacted Circle Okay for remark however was unable to achieve Gawlitza.
The Arizona Lottery mentioned it was not conscious of any earlier occasion the place a retailer and an worker had opposing claims to a profitable lottery ticket. “This is a unique situation, and we are not aware of any prior litigation of this sort involving the Arizona Lottery,” a lottery spokesperson informed AZFamily.
The November drawing was the fourth-largest prize within the historical past of The Pick and the most important jackpot received in Arizona since 2019, in line with lottery officers.
The profitable ticket have to be claimed inside 180 days of the drawing, or earlier than May 23, 2026.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/arizona-lottery-lawsuit-circle-k-b2925352.html