(C) USA Herald

PHOENIX, Arizona – A high-stakes legal battle has erupted over a lottery ticket worth $12.8 million (approximately 18.4 billion KRW), centering on a critical question: Who is the rightful owner of a jackpot-winning ticket that was printed by mistake and abandoned by a customer?

The Mistake That Led to a Jackpot
The saga began on November 24 last year at a Circle K convenience store in Scottsdale. A customer entered the store intended to purchase "The Pick," a local Arizona lottery game, using specific numbers from a previous ticket. However, a clerical error occurred when the store clerk printed $85 worth of $1 tickets.

The customer opted to pay for only $60 worth of the tickets, leaving the remaining 25 unpaid slips on the counter before departing the premises. Unbeknownst to everyone at the time, one of those 25 abandoned tickets held the winning numbers for a massive $12.8 million jackpot—the fourth-largest in the history of "The Pick" and the largest in Arizona since 2019.

The Manager’s Quick Maneuver
The situation took a dramatic turn the following morning when the store manager, Robert Gaulitza, discovered that one of the unsold tickets was the grand prize winner.

According to reports from local news outlet '12 News,' Gaulitza immediately took action to circumvent store policies. Knowing that employees are prohibited from purchasing lottery tickets while on duty, he reportedly clocked out, removed his store uniform, and informed another staff member that he wished to purchase all 25 abandoned tickets. Once the transaction was processed, he promptly signed the back of the winning ticket to claim ownership.

Corporate Intervention and Legal Gray Areas
The convenience store chain, Circle K, intervened after realizing the abandoned ticket was a winner. The company moved to reclaim the ticket, leading to a direct conflict with Gaulitza, who argues that since he purchased the ticket and signed it, the prize belongs to him.

On February 17, Circle K filed a lawsuit in the Maricopa County Superior Court, requesting a judicial determination on the legal ownership of the prize.

The case sits at the intersection of complex state regulations:

Retailer Ownership: Under Arizona administrative law, if a printed ticket is refused or abandoned by a customer and remains unsold, it typically becomes the property of the retailer. This is because retailers are required to pay the lottery commission for every ticket printed, regardless of whether it is sold.
Employee Restrictions: While Gaulitza attempted to follow the letter of the law by clocking out before the purchase, the timing of the transaction—occurring after the winning numbers were announced—raises significant ethical and legal questions regarding "insider" advantages.

The 180-Day Countdown
Time is of the essence for all parties involved. Under Arizona Lottery rules, winners have exactly 180 days to claim their prize. If the dispute is not resolved and the prize is not officially claimed by May 23, the $12.8 million will forfeited. In such an event, the majority of the funds would be returned to the state’s prize pool for future draws.

As the legal proceedings continue, the case serves as a stark reminder of the chaotic complications that can arise when a simple printing error turns into a multi-million dollar windfall. For now, the 18.4 billion won jackpot remains in limbo, waiting for a court to decide if it belongs to the corporation or the opportunistic manager.

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