{"id":4599,"date":"2026-07-13T05:44:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/circle-k-asks-a-court-to-decide-ownership-of-a-12-8m-arizona-lottery-ticket-after-manager-bought-abandoned-printouts\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T05:44:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T05:44:52","slug":"circle-k-asks-a-court-to-decide-ownership-of-a-12-8m-arizona-lottery-ticket-after-manager-bought-abandoned-printouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/circle-k-asks-a-court-to-decide-ownership-of-a-12-8m-arizona-lottery-ticket-after-manager-bought-abandoned-printouts\/","title":{"rendered":"Circle K asks a court to decide ownership of a $12.8M Arizona Lottery ticket after manager bought abandoned printouts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--NACM_LINK_HIGHLIGHT_HOVER_CSS--><\/p>\n<style>\n\/* ===============================\n   NACM HIGHLIGHT ITEM HOVER\n   =============================== *\/\n.nacm-highlight-item{\n  transition: box-shadow .25s ease, transform .25s ease;\n}\n.nacm-highlight-item:hover{\n  box-shadow:0 14px 34px rgba(0,0,0,0.22) !important;\n  transform: translateY(-1px);\n}\n<\/style>\n<p><!--NACM_LINK_DEFAULT_HOVER_CSS--><\/p>\n<style>\n\/* ===============================\n   NACM DEFAULT LINK BOX HOVER\n   =============================== *\/<\/p>\n<p>\/* \u2705 \uae30\ubcf8\ud615 \ubc15\uc2a4 hover: \uadf8\ub9bc\uc790 \uac15\ud654 (inline box-shadow\ub3c4 \ub36e\uc5b4\uc500) *\/\n.nacm-link-wrapper .nacm-link-box{\n  transition: box-shadow .25s ease, transform .25s ease;\n}\n.nacm-link-wrapper .nacm-link-box:hover{\n  box-shadow:0 14px 32px rgba(0,0,0,0.18) !important;\n}<\/p>\n<p>\/* \u2705 \uae30\ubcf8\ud615 \ub9c1\ud06c hover: \uc0c9\uc0c1 \ubcc0\uacbd (WP \uc804\uc5ed a:hover \ub36e\uc5b4\uc500) *\/\n.nacm-link-wrapper a.nacm-link{\n  transition: color .2s ease;\n}\n.nacm-link-wrapper a.nacm-link:hover{\n  color:#1e88ff !important;\n  text-decoration:none !important;\n}\n<\/style>\n<p><!--NACM_STRONG_CSS--><\/p>\n<style>\n.nacm-strong{\n  font-weight: normal;\n  text-decoration: underline;\n  text-decoration-color: #e53935;\n  text-decoration-thickness: 2.5px;\n  text-underline-offset: 3px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<p>A legal fight over a $12.8 million Arizona <strong class=\"nacm-strong\">Lottery<\/strong> Pick jackpot centers on whether a ticket printed and left unpaid at a Scottsdale <strong class=\"nacm-strong\">Circle<\/strong> K belongs to the retailer, the store manager who bought it, the original customer, or a clerk who handled the sale. The dispute turns on Arizona Administrative Code \u00a7 R19-3-213(D)(1), the abandonment doctrine in state property law, and a court-extended claim deadline of May 23, 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>How the ticket moved from the counter to a courtroom<\/h2>\n<p>On November 24, 2025 the Circle K in Scottsdale printed 85 Pick tickets for the drawing; the customer identified in filings as Anna Kim paid for 60 and left 25 unpaid at the counter. One of those 25 matched all six numbers and became a $12.8 million winner. Store manager Robert Gawlitza discovered the leftover tickets the next morning, clocked out, changed out of his uniform\u2014citing Arizona Lottery rules that bar employees from playing while on shift\u2014then paid $10 for the unsold group, signed the back of the winning ticket and took a receipt.<\/p>\n<p>Circle K later confiscated the ticket and sued to have a court declare ownership rather than allow an immediate claim. A Circle K employee, Marline Ybarra, who arranged the sale of the leftover tickets to Gawlitza the next day, has also asserted a claim and is named in the lawsuit. The Arizona Lottery has described itself as a nominal party; the court issued a temporary restraining order and extended the prize-claim deadline by 180 days so the contest can be resolved before the new May 23, 2026 deadline.<\/p>\n<h2>The rule the retailer relies on and how it operates in practice<\/h2>\n<p>Arizona Administrative Code \u00a7 R19-3-213(D)(1) says a retailer owns draw-game tickets it generated that a player refused or abandoned and that were not resold. The administrative rule ties ownership to the retailer because, in practice, the retailer has already paid the Lottery for printed tickets even if a customer walks away without paying.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nacm-desktop-only\">\n<div class=\"nacm-link-wrapper\" style=\"width:90%;margin:28px auto;\">\n<div class=\"nacm-link-box-title\" style=\"font-size:0.9em;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 12px 4px;letter-spacing:0.3px;\">You May Also Like<\/div>\n<style>\n\/* \u2705 \uce74\ub4dc \uac1c\ubcc4 hover *\/\n.nacm-card-item{\n  transition: box-shadow .25s ease;\n}\n.nacm-card-item:hover{\n  box-shadow:0 14px 30px rgba(0,0,0,.18);\n}<\/p>\n<p>\/* \uc774\ubbf8\uc9c0 \ud655\ub300 *\/\n.nacm-card-item .nacm-card-img{\n  overflow:hidden;\n}\n.nacm-card-item .nacm-card-img img{\n  transition:transform .35s ease;\n}\n.nacm-card-item:hover .nacm-card-img img{\n  transform:scale(1.06);\n}<\/p>\n<p>\/* \ud0c0\uc774\ud2c0 \uc0c9\uc0c1 *\/\n.nacm-card-item .nacm-card-title a{\n  transition:color .25s ease;\n}\n.nacm-card-item:hover .nacm-card-title a{\n  color:#1e88ff !important;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"nacm-link-box nacm-link-box--card\" style=\"border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:16px;padding:18px;background:#fff;\">\n<div class=\"nacm-card-item\" style=\"display:flex;gap:18px;align-items:stretch;border-radius:14px;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #eef0f3;\">\n<div class=\"nacm-card-img\" style=\"flex:0 0 40%;max-width:40%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a-person-holding-a-pink-ticket-in-their-hand.webp\" alt=\"Not just theft: How Ranogajec\u2019s syndicate bought 99% of a Texas Lottery \u2014 and why the commission\u2019s role matters\" style=\"width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;display:block;\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding:14px 16px;flex:1;min-width:0;\">\n<div class=\"nacm-card-title\" style=\"font-size:1.08em;font-weight:800;line-height:1.25;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/not-just-theft-how-ranogajecs-syndicate-bought-99-of-a-texas-lottery-and-why-the-commissions-role-matters\/\" target=\"_self\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\">Not just theft: How Ranogajec\u2019s syndicate bought 99% of a Texas Lottery \u2014 and why the commission\u2019s role matters<\/a><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-top:6px;font-size:0.9em;line-height:1.45;color:#6b7280;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;overflow:hidden;\">In October 2023 a syndicate led by Australian gambler Zeljko Ranogajec spent more than $25 million to buy roughly 99% of the number combinations in a $95 million Texas Lottery drawing. The headline reaction \u2014 calling it the biggest theft in Texas history \u2014 misses a key point: the operation relied on active logistical cooperation [&hellip;]<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n@media (max-width:768px){\n  .nacm-desktop-only{display:none!important;}\n  .nacm-mobile-only{display:block!important;}\n}\n@media (min-width:769px){\n  .nacm-mobile-only{display:none!important;}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"nacm-mobile-only\" style=\"width:92%;margin:16px auto;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/not-just-theft-how-ranogajecs-syndicate-bought-99-of-a-texas-lottery-and-why-the-commissions-role-matters\/\" target=\"_self\" style=\"text-decoration:none;\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"\n    display:flex;\n    gap:10px;\n    align-items:center;\n    padding:10px;\n    border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\n    border-radius:6px;\n    margin-bottom:10px;\n    background:#fff;\n  \"><br \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/a-person-holding-a-pink-ticket-in-their-hand.webp\" alt=\"Not just theft: How Ranogajec\u2019s syndicate bought 99% of a Texas Lottery \u2014 and why the commission\u2019s role matters\" style=\"\n      width:64px;\n      height:64px;\n      object-fit:cover;\n      border-radius:4px;\n      flex-shrink:0;\n    \"><\/p>\n<div style=\"\n      font-size:14px;\n      font-weight:600;\n      line-height:1.4;\n      color:#111;\n      display:-webkit-box;\n      -webkit-line-clamp:2;\n      -webkit-box-orient:vertical;\n      overflow:hidden;\n    \">Not just theft: How Ranogajec\u2019s syndicate bought 99% of a Texas Lottery \u2014 and why the commission\u2019s role matters<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>That regulation is central to Circle K\u2019s position: if the court finds the 25 tickets were abandoned under the statute, ownership would presumptively rest with the retailer. But the presumption is not automatic; a competing theory based on property-law abandonment requires proof of the customer\u2019s intent to relinquish the tickets, and the presence of a sale or transfer involving an employee can complicate a straight application of the administrative rule.<\/p>\n<h2>What the competing parties must actually prove (and where their cases are weakest)<\/h2>\n<p>Anna Kim must show she did not abandon the unpaid tickets\u2014evidence such as contemporaneous payment attempts, communications with staff, or a plausible reason for leaving 25 printed tickets would undercut Circle K\u2019s abandonment claim. Gawlitza leans on his procedure: clocking out, changing uniform, a receipt and affidavits from six current and former Circle K employees saying the company had an informal policy requiring employees to buy accidentally printed tickets over $20; those affidavits address practice but not the legal question of whether the customer abandoned the tickets under state law.<\/p>\n<p>Ybarra\u2019s position depends on proving a valid transfer to her and then to Gawlitza\u2014chain-of-custody, any contemporaneous agreement between Ybarra and Gawlitza, and whether she had authority to sell unsold tickets. The court will weigh those factual proofs against the statutory presumption and the abandonment doctrine; the next checkpoint is the court\u2019s factual finding on whether Kim abandoned the unpaid tickets or the administrative-code ownership rule controls.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border:1px solid #888;border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;\">\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;text-align:left;\">Claimant<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;text-align:left;\">Legal basis<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;text-align:left;\">Key evidence needed<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;text-align:left;\">Main hurdle<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Circle K (retailer)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Arizona Admin. Code \u00a7 R19-3-213(D)(1)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Proof tickets were refused\/abandoned and not resold; register logs; CCTV<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Showing Kim intended to abandon vs. merely forgot or mispaid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Robert Gawlitza (manager)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Bought ticket after clocking out; possession and receipt<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Receipt, signed ticket, affidavits, clock-in\/clock-out records<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Whether employee purchase is valid and whether purchase occurred before abandonment rule applied<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Marline Ybarra (clerk)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Claim via sale\/transfer in the chain of custody<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Contemporaneous sale records, testimony on authority to sell<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #888;padding:6px;\">Proving she lawfully conveyed ownership rather than facilitating a later retailer claim<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h2>Practical steps for retailers, employees and players until the court decides<\/h2>\n<p>Retailers should document a clear, written policy on accidentally printed tickets, require receipts and time-stamped logs, preserve CCTV, and train staff; the Circle K case shows courts will examine internal practice and documentation closely. Employees who handle unsold or misprinted tickets should avoid informal cash transfers while on the clock, obtain written authorization for any purchase, and secure receipts and witness statements to reduce chain-of-custody disputes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nacm-image-wrapper\" style=\"width:90%;margin:28px auto;border-radius:18px;overflow:hidden;box-shadow:0 16px 36px rgba(0,0,0,0.22);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/empty-courtroom-featuring-rich-wooden-paneling-and-a-decorative-ceiling.webp\" alt=\"Empty courtroom featuring rich wooden paneling and a decorative ceiling.\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block;\" \/><\/div>\n<p>Players should check that a ticket printed for them is paid for at the register before leaving and keep any sales receipts; if you believe you left a ticket behind, act quickly\u2014this case has a hard claim deadline extended to May 23, 2026, and courts will treat timing and intent as decisive. The realistic starting point for anyone in a similar situation is to secure contemporaneous evidence (receipts, CCTV, timestamps); absence of such proof is a common stop signal for a claim.<\/p>\n<h3>Common questions<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Does the employee who physically bought the ticket automatically own it?<\/strong> No. Physical possession helps but does not override Arizona\u2019s abandonment rule and property-law tests; the court will examine timing, intent, and whether the ticket was properly resold.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What happens if the court doesn\u2019t decide before May 23, 2026?<\/strong> The judge extended the deadline by 180 days to allow litigation; if no valid claim is resolved by the final statutory deadline, the prize can expire and revert to state programs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What should a retailer do immediately after a similar incident?<\/strong> Preserve the ticket, secure video and register logs, get written statements from employees, and consult counsel quickly\u2014those steps materially affect who can prove a claim in court.<\/p>\n<div class=\"nacm-link-wrapper\" style=\"width:90%;margin:28px auto;\">\n<div class=\"nacm-link-box-title\" style=\"font-size:0.9em;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 12px 4px;letter-spacing:0.3px;\">Additional Resources<\/div>\n<div class=\"nacm-highlight-item\" style=\"display:flex;background:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;margin:10px 0;box-shadow:0 6px 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);transition:box-shadow .25s ease, transform .25s ease;\">\n<div style=\"flex:0 0 6px;background:#00d9ff;border-top-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding:14px 16px;display:flex;align-items:center;line-height:1.45;min-height:56px;background:#ffffff;\"><a class=\"nacm-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc15.com\/news\/local-news\/jackpot-dispute-circle-k-sues-scottsdale-store-clerk-arizona-lottery-over-12-8-million-ticket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"font-size:0.82em;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;line-height:1.45;text-decoration:none;\">Circle K sues Scottsdale store clerk, Arizona Lottery over $12.8 million ticket<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nacm-highlight-item\" style=\"display:flex;background:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;margin:10px 0;box-shadow:0 6px 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);transition:box-shadow .25s ease, transform .25s ease;\">\n<div style=\"flex:0 0 6px;background:#00d9ff;border-top-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding:14px 16px;display:flex;align-items:center;line-height:1.45;min-height:56px;background:#ffffff;\"><a class=\"nacm-link\" href=\"https:\/\/allaboutlawyer.com\/circle-k-arizona-lottery-ticket-lawsuit-what-you-need-to-know-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"font-size:0.82em;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;line-height:1.45;text-decoration:none;\">Circle K Lottery Lawsuit 2026: Who Owns The $12.8M Ticket?<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nacm-highlight-item\" style=\"display:flex;background:#ffffff;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden;margin:10px 0;box-shadow:0 6px 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);transition:box-shadow .25s ease, transform .25s ease;\">\n<div style=\"flex:0 0 6px;background:#00d9ff;border-top-left-radius:12px;border-bottom-left-radius:12px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding:14px 16px;display:flex;align-items:center;line-height:1.45;min-height:56px;background:#ffffff;\"><a class=\"nacm-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/circle-ks-12-8m-lottery-dispute-takes-fresh-twist-as-second-employee-claims-jackpot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"font-size:0.82em;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;line-height:1.45;text-decoration:none;\">Circle K\u2019s $12.8M Lottery Dispute Takes Fresh Twist as Second Employee Claims Jackpot<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A legal fight over a $12.8 million Arizona Lottery Pick jackpot centers on whether a ticket printed and left unpaid at a Scottsdale Circle K belongs to the retailer, the store manager who bought it, the original customer, or a clerk who handled the sale. The dispute turns on Arizona Administrative Code \u00a7 R19-3-213(D)(1), the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1935,1942,1944,1939,1941,1940,1936,1943,1938,1937],"class_list":["post-4599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-arizona-lottery","tag-circle-k-lawsuit","tag-claim-deadline","tag-employee-purchase","tag-legal-ownership","tag-lottery-jackpot","tag-lottery-ticket-dispute","tag-property-law","tag-retail-law","tag-ticket-abandonment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blockchaincasinohub.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}