Michael DiVita Compensated $18,500 By Epic Poker League

Back in September 2011, a registered sex offender by the name of Michael DiVita was disqualified from the Epic Poker League after his background was discovered.
At that time, DiVita had just qualified for a $20,000 EPL Main Event seat via an 8th place finish at a $1,500 satellite EPL Pro-Am event. However, when it came to taking his $20k seat at the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, he soon found himself blocked from registering, before then being refunded his initial $1,500 buy-in fee and subsequently being escorted off the premises.
Later, Michael DiVita vowed to reclaim the balance of $18,500 still owed to him and appealed to the Nevada Gambling Control Board, as well as various poker news outlets, in order to receive the money he believed was still owed to him.
At the heart of the EPL controversy which ensued was the fact Michael DiVita has a conviction dating back to 1991 for lewd behavior on a minor. Apparently he even served a prison sentence for the crime, according to gambling911.com, but whilst appearing on a Quadjacks radio podcast Divita claimed to have had a relationship with the girl’s mother and not the minor herself.
In an apparent attempt to make light of the matter, DiVita even offered the following comment on the show; “I did poke her, but not the minor. Oh that was sooo bad.”
In 2008, DiVita was also arrested for lewd behavior on a boy aged 15, but later released  after the boy refused to testify.
However, it appears that the Epic Poker League did, in fact, overstep their mark by banning him from the competition with the The Nevada Gambling Control Board now ordering the Palms Casino Resort to pay Michael DiVita the $18,500 owed to him.
The Palms Casino Resort was held accountable as it was there that the  infraction took place, but with an unconfirmed report by EPL’s alleged owner Pinnacle Entertainment, also indicating they would not try to prevent him entering any future tournaments.