MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings had just kicked off when a dozen people ordered beers and commandeered a few tables at a local brewery on a recent Sunday. While football played on the screens above them, over the next three hours, they cheered and laughed and even swore a bit.

And they didn’t look at the game once. They were focused on their mahjong tiles.

“I’m totally geeked out about it,” said Cheryl Harrison, before winning her game.

Developed almost 200 years ago in China, mahjong has long been a staple in both Chinese and Jewish households. But it has captivated new audiences in the past two years. Eventbrite listings for mahjong games nearly tripled between 2023 and 2024, according to the platform’s sample of nine major American metros. Several new mahjong clubs have popped up

See Full Page