Two months before Californians decide whether to open the nation’s largest state to legalized sports betting, a new audit finds that the agency charged with treating people with gambling addictions may be ill-prepared for such a significant expansion of the market.
A new 55-page report, released by California Acting State Auditor Michael S. Tilden, found that the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling does not have a clear picture of how many residents are suffering or who have recently suffered from gambling addition. The agency, which has an annual budget of about $9 million, has also failed to demonstrate that it is effectively monitoring its prevention and treatment programs, according to the audit.
