Arizona
Arizona worker sued for buying $12.8M lottery ticket from his store after drawing — judge to decide who gets the prize
An Arizona Circle K manager allegedly purchased a $12.8 million lottery ticket that was left on the counter overnight, knowing its historic value — as the company claimed it should receive the prize money.
Robert Gawlitza, an employee at the convenience store in Scottsdale, was working on Nov. 24 when a customer asked to replay numbers for “The Pick” drawing that night, according to a complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court, 12News reported on Friday.
The complaint, filed on Tuesday, alleged that a worker printed out $85 worth of $1 tickets, but the customer had only paid for $60 worth, leaving the remaining 25 tickets on the counter.
The tickets remained in the store, untouched, for the remainder of the night into the next morning.
Gawlitza allegedly learned that his store had sold the jackpot winner and scanned through the abandoned tickets before finding the correct one.
The winning numbers were 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, 26.
The fast-thinking Gawlitza clocked out from his shift, removed his Circle K shirt and purchased the tickets, including the winner from another employee for $10, the outlet reported.
Circle K management was soon notified of the purchase and ordered the ticket to be held in its corporate office until a judge ruled on who owned the $12.8 million ticket.
In its complaint filed against Gawlitza and the Arizona Lottery, Circle K cited the Arizona Administrative Code that states retailers hold property claims to lottery tickets that a customer refuses to pay for and go unsold.
The store did not claim ownership of the ticket but called upon the court to decide against the competing claims, according to the suit.
The Arizona Lottery was not aware of any previous situation where a store and an employee had opposing claims to a lottery jackpot.
“This is a unique situation, and we are not aware of any prior litigation of this sort involving the Arizona Lottery,” a lottery spokesperson told AZFamily.
The $12.8 million jackpot was the fourth-largest “The Pick” prize sold in Arizona, and the biggest since 2019.
The rightful owner has until May 23, 180 days after the drawing, to claim the prize.
Arizona retailers earn a 6.5% commission on lottery sales from their stores, according to the Arizona Lottery.
Businesses that sell a jackpot-winning ticket for in-state draw games, including “The Pick,” are eligible for an incentive, with a $10,000 reward for top prizes over $1 million.
RCA Records
The Arizona State Fair 2026 concert lineup just got bigger.
On Monday, fair officials announced that pop star Becky G and punk/alt-rock band The Offspring are joining the 2026 Coliseum Concert Series.
The two acts join a growing list of artists scheduled to perform during this year’s Arizona State Fair, which runs weekends from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1.
Becky G will play the fair on Friday, Oct. 9. The Offspring are scheduled to perform on Friday, Oct. 16.
Both concerts start at 7 p.m. inside the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum and won’t feature opening acts.
It’s the first time The Offspring, best known for a string of ‘‘’90s rock hits, has played the Arizona State Fair.
Becky G, the Grammy-nominated pop singer behind such multiplatinum singles as “Shower” and “Mayores,” previously performed at the fair back in 2019 and 2023.
Neil Schwartz Photography
Arizona State Fair 2026 concert lineup
State fair concerts featuring marquee artists have been shaking the walls of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the fairgrounds since the 1960s.
The rosters of legendary artists and bands who have played the fair over the decades is both enormous and legendary. Names like Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Green Day, Korn, Snoop Dogg and Johnny Cash have taken the state inside the Coliseum over the decades.
Earlier this month, state fair officials began announcing the 2026 Coliseum Concert Series lineup.
Tempe rock icons Gin Blossoms are scheduled to perform on Friday, Oct. 2. Tickets are $58.09 to $107.53. Country music recording artist Russell Dickerson will play the fair on Saturday, Oct. 17. Tickets are $53.97 to $92.08.
Additional concert announcements are expected in the coming weeks.
When do Arizona State Fair concert tickets go on sale?
Tickets for Gin Blossoms and Russell Dickerson are already available through the Arizona State Fair website.
Tickets for Becky G and The Offspring go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday via azstatefair.com/concerts. A presale for subscribers to the Fair Fandom newsletter begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Reserved-seat upgrades are available for all four concerts. Each concert ticket also includes admission to the Arizona State Fair.
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An Arizona driver was pulled over for rushing home to watch a popular reality TV dating show.
A state trooper pulled over a vehicle going 108 miles per hour in Pinal County. The zone had a speed limit of 65 miles per hour along Arizona State Route 347.
The driver stated that she was trying to get home fast to see “Love Island.” Season 8 of the U.S. version premiered on June 2 on Peacock with new episodes airing daily except for Wednesdays.
She was arrested and booked for speeding and reckless driving; the vehicle was taken to “car jail” for 20 days, according to an Arizona Highway Patrol Facebook post.
Do you have a tip or a question you need answered? Reach the reporter at dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on Instagram @dina_kaur.
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Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, June 14, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers
2-3-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers
03-20-25-26-29
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Triple Twist numbers
07-13-21-24-25-30
Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results
What time is the Powerball drawing?
Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?
In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.
How to play the Powerball
To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.
You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:
- 5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
- 5 white balls = $1 million.
- 4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
- 4 white balls = $100.
- 3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
- 3 white balls = $7.
- 2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
- 1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
- 1 red Powerball = $4.
There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:
Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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