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An unusual protest was held outside Auckland's Sky City Casino
on Tuesday, to mark what has been declared Gamble Free Day.
A group of students from the Auckland University of Technology
dumped five million fake dollars to protest against the $5 million
lost in casinos around New Zealand each day.
The money was printed with facts about gambling, and was handed out to the public.
The students hoped to raise awareness about the devastating effects of problem gambling on communities in New Zealand, in association with the Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand.
One in five New Zealanders are affected by problem gambling and of those, 74,000 have some type of mental health issue because of it.
Protester Georgie Urlich says they want New Zealanders to be aware how serious problem gambling is because many people don't realise how much money is lost.
She says last year more than $18 billion was lost on gambling.
The students hoped the stunt would spark public debate and urged the Government to reconsider its existing legislation concerning pokie machines.
Gamble-Free Day started in 2005 and has been held every year since then on September 1 to raise awareness of problem gambling in New Zealand.
