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SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A legal fight over a $12.8 million Arizona lottery jackpot will continue after a judge granted a Scottsdale gas station’s request to delay the ticket’s expiration deadline.
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The winning ticket was set to expire May 23, but the judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday, giving the court 180 more days to determine who is legally entitled to claim the prize.
The dispute centers on a winning ticket sold at the Circle K on 56th Street and Bell Road.
According to a lawsuit filed by Circle K, a customer went to the store to buy multiple tickets for “The Pick,” a lottery game in which players try to match six numbers.
The complaint says a clerk printed $85 worth of tickets, but the customer only bought $60 worth of them at $1 each.
The remaining 25 tickets were set aside and were not sold to any other customers, according to the lawsuit.
The following day, store manager Robert Gawlitza allegedly realized one of the leftover tickets had hit the jackpot of $12.8 million. According to the complaint, Gawlitza clocked out, removed his uniform and had an employee ring him up with a receipt for all remaining tickets for $10, including the winning one.
Circle K argues that under Arizona Lottery rules, the retailer owns overprinted tickets that are not sold to customers.
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During Friday’s hearing, the judge said the court is “nowhere near” deciding who should receive the jackpot. The judge said the case remains in a “waiting mode” while Circle K works to identify and serve key parties, including the original customer who purchased the first batch of tickets and Gawlitza.
Circle K is also trying to obtain records from Bank of America to help identify the original purchaser, who is currently listed in court documents as a Jane or John Doe.
The company says it attempted to serve Gawlitza with the lawsuit but has not yet been able to do so. He no longer works for Circle K and was not present in court Friday.
The court’s eventual decision could set a precedent for how similar lottery ticket disputes are handled in Arizona.
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