In other words, you must open an account before enrolling in a poker tournament. Online poker tournaments organized in casinos from our list will accept any player from Ohio who has an account in respective online gambling hubs. How to Register for an Online Poker Tournament Although the new regulation required the casinos to share revenue with the state, this wasn’t a problem, as recent legal gambling options, including poker, brought immense profit to these casino venues. The first brick-and-mortar casino opened in 2012, and it had a license to offer poker games and throw poker tournaments. Thanks to this amendment, four land-based casinos could be constructed in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. Commercial gambling wasn’t legal for years until the state passed the Ohio Casino Approval and Tax Distribution Amendment 3 in 2009. Up until recently, Ohio was not at all inclined to legalize poker.