If you've been seeing mahjong pop up everywhere lately — on Instagram, in friend groups, at community centers — you're not imagining it. The game is having one of the most remarkable cultural moments in recent memory. And now, two Utah County women are making sure the Wasatch Front doesn't get left behind.
Betty Parker and Amanda Beirdneau recently launched Our Mahjong Table — a local mahjong group offering beginner lessons, guided play sessions, open play nights, and date nights for couples and friend groups. Betty is a Certified OMM (Official Mah Jongg) Instructor, bringing formal training and a genuine love of the game to every session. Classes are hosted at Lehi Bakery — a Utah institution since 1969 and home of the wildly popular original square donut — and each class participant receives one as part of the experience.
Mahjong Is Having Its Pickleball Moment
The numbers are genuinely striking. Yelp named mahjong a top trend of 2026, reporting that searches for mahjong clubs surged 4,467% year over year for the period from September 2024 to August 2025 — and searches for mahjong lessons rose 819% over the same period.
Between 2023 and 2024, searches for mahjong events on Eventbrite jumped 365% nationwide, and the number of mahjong events grew 179% across the country. That's not a passing fad — that's a sustained national wave.
The global mahjong market, valued at $1.9 billion in 2024, is forecast to reach $3 billion by 2035, according to Wise Guy Reports — a 4.4% compound annual growth rate. The same report likens the trajectory to pickleball. You know what happened with pickleball.
And the player base in the United States tells a distinct story: in the US, the mahjong player base now skews decidedly female, according to DiscoveryContent's analysis of CrazyGames traffic data. Celebrities including Julia Roberts and Meghan Markle are among its publicly known fans.
The National Mah Jongg League estimates up to 600,000–750,000 American mahjong players, the vast majority of whom are women. In online communities and local clubs across the country, the demographic is expanding — mom groups, book clubs, and neighborhood gatherings are all increasingly reaching for the tiles.
Why People Are Drawn to Mahjong Right Now
There's something deeper happening here beyond trend-following. In a moment when people are looking for reasons to put down their phones and actually be in the same room with other people, mahjong delivers something that scrolling cannot: genuine presence, shared focus, and the kind of light social friction that turns acquaintances into friends.
On r/mahjong, the same theme comes up repeatedly: "I was nervous I wouldn't understand it but our instructor was patient and we were laughing within the first 20 minutes." And: "It's become our weekly thing — same four people, every Thursday. I didn't expect it to become something I looked forward to that much."
The game itself rewards both beginners and experienced players in different ways. It's strategic enough to be genuinely engaging — players must analyze tiles, memorize discards, and read the table — but accessible enough that a first-time player can be competitive within a session or two.
The Science Behind the Social
This isn't just good vibes — there's real research behind why mahjong is particularly good for the mind.
A 2024 scoping review published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, examining 53 studies across 13 databases, found that mahjong experience was associated with better cognitive, psychological, and functional abilities in older adults. As an intervention, playing mahjong was found to enhance general cognitive abilities and short-term memory, and to relieve depressive symptoms.
A separate study published in the National Institutes of Health database found that playing mahjong three times per week for 12 weeks improved executive function in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment — including planning, working memory, and the ability to complete daily activities.
For Utah County's large family-oriented community, this matters across generations — for adults looking for a meaningful social outlet, for older residents seeking cognitive engagement, and for families looking for something genuinely fun to do together.
Meet Our Mahjong Table: Betty Parker and Amanda Beirdneau
Betty Parker brings formal credentials and genuine warmth to what she and Amanda are building. Betty is a Certified OMM Instructor — the recognized credential for teaching American mahjong through the Official Mah Jongg platform — ensuring that students learn the game correctly from day one.
Their Instagram launch post captured the philosophy simply: "Whether you've never touched a tile before or you already know your way around the wall, you are welcome here. Truly." That kind of intentional inclusivity matters. Mahjong has a reputation in some circles for being intimidating — but with a certified instructor guiding the session, the learning curve is manageable and fun.
What Our Mahjong Table offers:
- Beginner lessons — start from zero, no experience required
- Guided play — learn by doing with an instructor at the table
- Open play nights — for players who have the basics and want more practice
- Date nights — a genuinely different couples activity that's actually engaging
- Friend groups — private sessions for your book club, mom group, or neighborhood circle
Where classes are held: Classes are hosted at Lehi Bakery — a Utah institution since 1969, home of the original square donut, and one of the most beloved local spots on the Wasatch Front. Every class participant receives Lehi Bakery's famous square donut as part of the experience. If you haven't had one, consider this your introduction.
How to connect:
- Instagram: @ourmahjongtable
- Website coming soon — follow on Instagram for booking updates
Why This Is a Perfect Fit for Utah County Right Now
Utah County has one of the youngest, most community-oriented populations in the country. It also has one of the highest rates of married-parent households, strong neighborhood involvement, and a culture that genuinely values gathering. The infrastructure for community is already here. What's been missing is a game that bridges age groups, works for couples and friend groups equally, and gives people a reason to show up consistently.
Mahjong does all of that. And unlike pickleball — which requires a court, equipment, and physical exertion — mahjong happens around a table, works indoors year-round, and scales from a small group to a full room.
For a community like Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, or Lehi — where neighbors are genuinely interested in knowing each other — a local mahjong group hosted at a beloved local bakery is exactly the kind of thing that turns a neighborhood into a community.
As I covered in my summer events guide for Lehi and Eagle Mountain, Utah County communities are actively building out their social calendars. Our Mahjong Table — and Lehi Bakery — fit right in.
Is Mahjong Hard to Learn?
The honest answer: American mahjong has a learning curve, but it's shorter than people expect with the right instruction. The game uses a scoring card (updated annually by the National Mah Jongg League) that tells you which hands are valid and how many points they're worth. First-time players often feel overwhelmed looking at the card — but within a session or two of guided play, the patterns start to click.
What Betty and Amanda provide is the thing that makes the difference between quitting after one confusing session and becoming someone who clears their Thursday nights for the game: patient, structured instruction from someone who genuinely loves teaching it.
How to Get Started in Utah County
If you've been mahjong-curious — or if you have a friend group that's been looking for a reason to get together over donuts — this is it.
Follow @ourmahjongtable on Instagram for updates on upcoming sessions, booking info, and the website launch.
Beginner? Perfect. That's exactly who these sessions are designed for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is American mahjong and how is it different from traditional mahjong? American mahjong developed in the United States in the early 20th century and has its own distinct rules, scoring card, and tile set compared to traditional Chinese, Japanese, or Hong Kong mahjong. It's the most common form played in American social and club settings. The National Mah Jongg League publishes an annual card that determines which tile combinations score points for that year.
Do I need to own a mahjong set to take lessons? No — for beginner lessons and guided play sessions, sets are typically provided. Follow @ourmahjongtable on Instagram for details on what's needed for your specific session type.
Is mahjong good for your brain? Research published in the Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (2024) reviewed 53 studies and found that mahjong experience was associated with better cognitive, psychological, and functional abilities in older adults. The combination of memory, pattern recognition, strategic thinking, and social engagement makes it genuinely cognitively stimulating.
Is mahjong only for women? Not at all — Our Mahjong Table is explicitly welcoming to everyone. Their launch post specifically mentioned "women, men, couples, friends, neighbors, and anyone curious about learning." The current wave of growth is bringing in a much more diverse crowd including couples, friend groups, and younger players.
How popular is mahjong right now? Very. Yelp named mahjong a top trend of 2026, with searches for mahjong clubs up 4,467% and mahjong lessons up 819% year over year. Eventbrite reported a 365% jump in mahjong event searches between 2023 and 2024. Celebrities including Julia Roberts and Meghan Markle play regularly. Some analysts are calling it the next pickleball.
How do I book a session with Our Mahjong Table? Follow @ourmahjongtable on Instagram for booking updates and the upcoming website launch.
Related reading:
- Eagle Mountain Summer 2026: Complete Guide to Events and Things to Do
- Lehi Summer 2026: Complete Guide to Events, Festivals, and Things to Do
- Best Pools for Kids in Utah County 2026
- Is Utah County a Good Place to Live? An Honest Local's Guide
Sources: ICSC / Yelp — Mahjong clubs +4,467%, lessons +819% YoY, February 2026; Straight Arrow News — Eventbrite mahjong searches +365%, September 2025; DiscoveryContent / TechNewsTab — US player base skews female, September 2025; Tom Sloper / Sloperama — 600,000–750,000 American players estimated; Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease — 53-study scoping review, June 2024; NIH / Frontiers in Neurology — 12-week mahjong study, executive function; Lehi Bakery — Utah institution since 1969, home of the original square donut; Our Mahjong Table — @ourmahjongtable Instagram, May 2026.
Written by Kat Ashby, Principal Broker and Realtor® at RootQuest Realty LLC in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Kat holds a Utah Division of Real Estate Principal Broker license (Credential #10382396-PB00) — a designation that requires demonstrated experience, additional coursework, and a separate licensing exam beyond the standard agent license. She has been actively selling in Utah County since 2020, with deep experience across Lehi, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, and the broader Wasatch Front, specializing in buyer and seller representation, new construction, and corporate relocation through Altair Global. She is fluent in English and portuguesa, earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University, and lives in the community she sells in.