FOLLOW US

A legal battle has unfolded in Arizona after a convenience store employee was accused of trying to claim a multimillion-dollar lottery prize tied to a ticket he allegedly knew was a winner before buying it.

The dispute involves a $12.8 million jackpot from the Arizona Lottery’s “The Pick” drawing held on November 24. Court documents claim that the worker was on duty when a customer requested a replay of numbers for the game. The store reportedly printed several $1 tickets, but only part of the order was paid for, leaving a group of tickets on the counter.

Later that evening, lottery officials announced the winning combination: 3, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 26. One of the unsold tickets matched all six numbers, creating a jackpot prize worth $12.8 million.

The lawsuit alleges the employee realized that a winning ticket had been produced but remained unsold. Prosecutors claim he ended his shift, removed his uniform, and purchased the leftover tickets from another employee for approximately $10, which included the jackpot ticket. The employee reportedly signed the back of the ticket after the purchase.

Company management later became aware of the transaction and ordered the ticket to be secured at corporate headquarters while legal ownership was reviewed.

The convenience store chain is now asking a court to determine whether the ticket was validly sold and who is legally entitled to the prize money. Under Arizona administrative regulations, lottery tickets generated by retailers and refused by customers may be considered store property if they are not resold. The company argues this rule should be examined in court to decide whether the transaction followed proper procedure.

Legal experts say the case is unusual because it involves competing claims between an employee and the retailer, rather than the more common disputes between individual ticket holders. State lottery officials also said they were unaware of any prior litigation involving similar circumstances.

The November drawing remains one of the most significant prizes in the game’s history, ranking as the fourth-largest jackpot awarded in “The Pick” lottery and the biggest lottery prize in Arizona since 2019.

The winning ticket must be officially claimed within 180 days of the drawing, with the deadline set for May 23, 2026. If the prize is not claimed by then, legal authorities will decide how the funds are distributed while the court evaluates ownership claims involving the employee, the store, and the lottery system.