Newburgh Smoke Shop Sells $34,821 Take 5 Top-Prize Ticket

The New York Lottery confirmed that a winning Take 5 ticket for the evening drawing on Dec. 20 was sold at Smokes 4 Less, located on North Plank Road in Newburgh. The ticket matched the top prize for that draw and was worth $34,821, the Lottery said in its Jan. 2 announcement, which also released the winning numbers and reminded players of the one-year claim deadline.

The discovery of a substantial prize tied to a local retailer can have immediate, tangible effects on a community. For Smokes 4 Less, publicity around the sale can increase walk-in traffic and impulse purchases in the short term, and the store will be associated with a headline-making win. For residents, the announcement is a prompt to review tickets from the Dec. 20 drawing and to act before the one-year window closes.

Lottery wins of this size are modest compared with multimillion-dollar jackpots, but they still matter locally. A $34,821 prize represents a meaningful transfer of potential spending power to an individual or household, which can translate into expenditures at nearby businesses or debt reduction and savings. At the same time, retail outlets that sell winning tickets often receive heightened attention from shoppers hoping to replicate a similar outcome, which can lift micro-scale retail sales and visibility.

The New York Lottery routinely publishes winning numbers and claimant instructions following major prizes. Winners in this instance must claim their prize within one year of the drawing date, a standard deadline that applies to most state lottery games. Unclaimed prizes after that period are handled according to state lottery rules, so timely action is important for anyone holding a ticket from the Dec. 20 Take 5 evening draw.

For Orange County residents, the event is a reminder of the local economic interplay between small retailers and state-run gaming. While a single winning ticket does not reshape broader municipal finances, the publicity and modest spending effects that follow can be noticed at the street level. Local players should check their tickets and consult official New York Lottery channels for prize-claim instructions and verification of winning numbers.