Why Everyone Is Playing Mahjong Again

Mahjong is booming in the United States, but it never disappeared. The game emerged in nineteenth-century China, sparked an international craze in the 1920s, and has long been part of Chinese American and Jewish American social life. Today's revival is bringing new players to the table. U.S. mahjong events listed on Eventbrite rose 179% from 2023 to 2024, and Yelp's 2026 trends report recorded sharp increases in searches for clubs and lessons. Those figures measure events and interest, not everyone who plays, but the direction is clear: the game is finding a new audience.

The game handed down through generations of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Jewish families is now played by a much broader slice of the community. In the US, it's not just American Mah Jongg gaining players and attention. All the styles are growing, with clubs in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles filling bars, lounges and event spaces with dozens to hundreds of people playing Hong Kong mahjong.

The game is not new. The tables are just fuller.

What is behind the boom

A few things are happening at once.

Call it a digital detox, an analog activity or a grandma hobby. What people want is connection in real life. Remote work and a more digital life have people yearning for community. Mahjong needs four people, a table and a couple of hours. It means sitting together, in real life, doing something challenging, tactile and fun.

It is a standing date. The most common thing you will hear from long-time players is that it's part of their schedule. There's no need to call or text to confirm what time and where. You know where and when, and the rest of your life works around it. There's no small talk when you see the same people week after week. Some days you play without speaking, other days you gab, and you build a shorthand from consistent time together. Players in their seventies describe it as a fixed point in the week, without the drama of scheduling it. Players in their twenties are building the same thing from scratch.

Younger players found it. New groups in big cities now host weekly games and Lunar New Year parties, and many of the players show up knowing the game from a grandmother's kitchen table and wanting a way back to it. NPR reported in January 2026 that interest has grown over the past year, especially among Gen Z and Millennials, and that in-person meetups are growing in popularity.

It's a tactile, good-looking game. Nothing beats the sound and the pace of the clack. When you start out, there is the challenge, and the satisfaction of learning the tiles and the strategy. And for those who like it, the variety of tiles, mats and other mahjong gear is hard to resist.

One game, several styles

Mahjong emerged in China in the mid-to-late 1800s, probably near Shanghai, and was popular in Shanghai and Beijing before it spread (Stanford). Its exact origins are still debated. It reached the United States in the 1920s, and women in New York founded the National Mah Jongg League in 1937, standardizing the rules for American Mah Jongg.

It also spread beyond mainland China and developed regional forms, from Hong Kong rules to Japanese riichi to Taiwanese and Filipino styles. That is why the question "do you play mahjong?" has more than one answer.

Historian Annelise Heinz describes today's revival as a third wave: after the 1920s craze and the surge among suburban and Jewish American players in the 1950s and 1960s. Through all of it, the game stayed part of Chinese American community life. "Reaching new audiences again" is closer to the truth than "coming back."

Style

What to know

American Mah Jongg

Played with jokers. Hands come from the National Mah Jongg League card, which changes every year.

Hong Kong

Four melds and a pair, built from pungs and chows. Often played with a minimum score to win.

Sichuan, Taiwanese, Filipino, Riichi and others

Each has its own tiles, scoring and customs.

If you know one, you are not far from the others. If you do not know any, start with whichever your friends play. You will pick up the rest at the table.

House rules vary too. Ask before you sit down. Nobody minds.

How to start playing

Show up, sit down and learn. Everyone was new at one point.

  1. Start with one style. American if your friends or your local group play it. Hong Kong if you want something quick to learn and easy to play with strangers.
  2. Learn the basics. YouTube, a teacher, a book or a friend. A good teacher gets you playing in one evening.
  3. Get a set. A starter set will do. Ask your teacher what to look for, and buy better later if you stay with it.
  4. Find a table. Beginner nights, open play, a local league or a friend's kitchen. Every table has one person who knows a bit more. Sit next to them.

Learn it in an evening. Spend years getting good.

Where to find a game

Club Mah Jongg lists games, leagues, retreats and events by city. Search by where you are or where you are traveling. [Link: play.clubmahjongg.com] You can also join the app and message other players directly.

New to the game? Pull up a chair. We will find you a table.

FAQ

Why is mahjong so popular right now? More people are looking for ways to spend time together in person. Mahjong is social by design, a regular game night builds friendships, and new groups and events keep forming. Yelp reported that searches for mahjong clubs rose 4,467% year over year, and Eventbrite reported a 179% increase in U.S. mahjong events from 2023 to 2024. Neither figure measures the whole playing population, but both show growing interest.

Is mahjong hard to learn? The basics take an evening. Getting good takes much longer, which is part of the appeal.

What is the difference between American Mah Jongg and Hong Kong mahjong? American Mah Jongg uses jokers and a yearly card of set hands. Hong Kong style has no card and builds a winning hand from sets of three and a pair.

Where did mahjong come from? China, in the mid-to-late 1800s, probably near Shanghai. It reached the United States in the 1920s, and the National Mah Jongg League was founded in New York in 1937.

How do I find a mahjong game near me? Search by city on Club Mah Jongg to find open play, leagues and events.

Find your seat. Find your people. Find your next game at clubmahjongg.com.

Sources

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