Crown Melbourne has been fined $120 million by the gambling regulator over breaches of its responsible service obligations.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) imposed the fines after it found the casino failed to prevent gambling harm by allowing customers to gamble for long periods without a break.

The VGCCC said customers were sometimes allowed to gamble for more than 24 hours at a time.

It also found the casino failed to comply with a statutory declaration to stop patrons using plastic picks and other devices to simulate “automatic play” on pokie machines.

VGCCC chairperson Fran Thorn said Crown failed in its “legal and moral obligation” to minimise gambling-related harm to its patrons.

“The record fines totalling $120 million that we have imposed on Crown today will send a powerful message to Crown that the Commission will not tolerate misconduct that exposes our community to increased risks of gambling related harm,” she said.

Ms Thorn said the breaches were “not isolated”.

“They were a pattern of extensive, sustained and systemic failures by Crown that spanned roughly 12 years,” she said.

The VGCCC said Crown had accepted the disciplinary action and the need for it to continue working on reforms.

It is the second time the VGCCC has used its stronger enforcement powers to take action against the casino operator.

Earlier this year, the regulator issued a $80 million fine to Crown for having a scheme that allowed the illegal transfer of funds from China.

More to come.