Audit Questions Spending By Gambling Helpline

After reviewing just $500,000 spent by a private contractor to run West Virginia's Problem Gamblers Help Network, Legislative auditors raised questions Monday about $90,000 worth of expenditures.

As The Associated Press reports, the audit presented during legislative interims prompted leading lawmakers to request a further review of spending by First Choice Health Systems.

Auditors had drawn a sample from First Choice's spending, selecting 234 expenditures out of 7,600 during a three-year time period.

First Choice has already agreed to repay more than $16,000 and continues to review the other flagged spending. The reimbursed amount reflects spending clearly not covered by its contract with the state _ on such things as flowers, food and travel.

"The spending included $1,573 to fly two daughters of a problem gambler to New York, for the taping of her interview by a national news program. Another $675 covered charges for a cell phone in the name of an employee's spouse," the AP article said.

"The expenses also included $1,200 in Christmas bonuses, $360 for a 2005 staff dinner at a New Orleans seafood restaurant and $68 for a horse carriage tour of that city."

MetroNews also has a story on the report, with audio from an interview with Legislative Auditor Aaron Allred.

In other gambling-related news:

*The Charleston Gazette reports that "Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper is declaring war on neighborhood gambling parlors."

* The Charleston Daily Mail observes that Carper also "has asked the county assessor to start reassessing property that belongs to Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center in Nitro and all the land that surrounds it" as the track prepares to offer the recently approved casino table games.