He Bought a $12.8M Winning Lottery Ticket. Then He Was Fired.

Overview

A news/interview segment discusses a legal dispute involving a former Circle K store manager in Arizona. The employee bought a leftover lottery ticket that turned out to be worth $12.8 million. The central controversy is whether the employee’s purchase was valid and whether the prize belongs to him or to Circle K.

What Happened

• November 2025: Robert Gawlitza, a longtime Circle K employee/manager, said he followed a store practice.
  • Employees buy unsold/mistakenly unpurchased tickets from the previous night to “balance the books.”
• On the day Robert bought the ticket:
  • He learned it contained the winning numbers for The Pick (an Arizona draw game).
• Robert stated he asked for permission to purchase the specific ticket and received authorization via communication with his superior/district manager.
• Circle K later allegedly:
  • Reversed course, demanded Robert turn the ticket over, and
  • Fired him a couple months later for violating a policy about purchasing lottery tickets while on duty.

Robert’s Argument

Robert claims he complied with company policy by:

• Clocking out before buying the ticket.
• Removing his shirt to avoid evidence issues related to being on the clock / in uniform.

He also argues:

• It was standard procedure that would apply even if the ticket had been a losing ticket.
  • In that scenario, he would have purchased it and then destroyed/ripped up the losing tickets.
• The only difference here was that the ticket was winning, and he believes Circle K is effectively punishing him because the ticket became valuable.
• The dispute has caused major personal consequences:
  • Difficulty finding work afterward, which he attributes to his name being associated with the lottery-ticket controversy.

Josh Kolsrud’s (Attorney) Argument

Robert’s attorney, Josh Kolsrud, argues the purchase should be treated as a legal/common industry practice, including:

• When a ticket is printed, it belongs to the vendor (Circle K).
• Unsold printed tickets must be handled in a way that makes the vendor responsible for the payout.
• Therefore, employees are required to buy mistakenly printed/unsold tickets—even if it is not written in the handbook.
• The attorney says affidavits and an expert witness would support that this was an established practice.

He emphasizes that:

• The litigation largely hinges on whether Circle K can show the employee’s purchase was not valid.
• Affidavits from other employees are critical to opposing a motion to dismiss/summary judgment.

Legal Process and Timelines Mentioned

• Circle K allegedly seized the ticket and sought a declaratory judgment to determine rightful ownership.
• The attorney said Circle K is likely to file a motion for summary judgment.
  • If the case survives, it could proceed to jury trial early next year.
• On deadlines:
  • Arizona generally allows 180 days (six months) to claim lottery prizes.
  • The attorney explained that Circle K’s legal actions reportedly caused the court to control the issue, so the lottery’s typical expiration deadline is not expected to apply in the same way during ongoing litigation.

Outcome Status and Circle K’s Response

• The segment states Circle K was contacted for comment but did not respond by publication.

Presenters/Contributors

• Robert Gawlitza — former Circle K employee/store manager (interviewee)
• Josh Kolsrud — attorney for Robert Gawlitza (contributor/interviewee)
• Unidentified host/interviewer — the person conducting the interview on the show/news segment