WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut’s new lottery claims center is now open.

The Wallingford site began awarding prizes on Friday, after about a week of winners having to wait. It replaces the Connecticut Lottery’s Rocky Hill location.

Prizes worth more than $5,000 must be claimed at the location. Prizes of $599 or less can still be cashed at the Connecticut Lottery’s 2,900 locations.

“They’ll walk you through the process of actually cashing that ticket, filling out the tax form if necessary, filling out identification information, running the checks that we have to do for the State of Connecticut,” said Christopher Davis, the gaming manager at the Connecticut Lottery.

Among those collecting prizes on Friday was Ayush Patel. It was his first time winning.

“I would not say there was a science, I would say it’s just luck,” Patel said. “Some people are more dedicated, they must have a science. Me, I just selected a random thing. That’s it.”

And how does he plan to spend his winnings?

“Probably give some to my parents, probably most of it,” he said. “And the rest, since I’m a student, I’ll use it towards college.”