BILLINGS — Mahjong is experiencing a resurgence across the country, and Montana now has its first dedicated space for the game.
Montana Mahj, the state's first dedicated mahjong house, opened Aug. 14 at 2528 Grand Ave. in Billings. The space was founded by litigation attorney Brooke Murphy and physician assistant Randi Ellis, two friends who say the game gave them something they didn't know they were missing.
Watch the full story below:
"One of the things that we talked about a lot is mahjong brought us community that we were missing once our kids left the house," Murphy said. "And I think a lot of women are missing that."
The two friends met as their daughters grew up playing soccer together and began playing mahjong in their basements last year. It started when Murphy saw Julia Roberts talk about the game on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," describing it as a way to create order from chaos.
"The concept of it is to create order out of chaos based on random drawing of tiles," Roberts said in the interview. "It's sort of like life. We try to make a little bit of order out of the chaos of life, just with our random acts of, hopefully, wisdom and kindness."
Murphy and Ellis began learning and playing with a group of others several times a week.
"Then had a Lunar New Year party in February, and we had a great turnout, and my husband was like, 'You're onto something here,'" Murphy said.
Murphy bought the domain name that day. The next month, they obtained their lease, and by August, they had opened Montana Mahj.
The space runs on memberships and open play. Memberships are $88 and include 50% off league and other events, as well as priority registration. Open play for non-members is $20 per event, and punch cards are also available at a discount.
"It's fun, and it's kind of vivacious, and we bang the gong when people get mahjong,” said Murphy.
The interior is decorated to match many of the tiles used in the game, some of which range from $20 to several hundred dollars.
"I think we have a pretty beautiful space that we've created. It's kind of fun to come somewhere that's white and bright and pretty, and again, just different than your norm," Ellis said.
The timing of Montana Mahj's opening reflects a broader national trend. According to Yelp, searches for local mahjong clubs rose by 4,467% between late 2024 and 2025. Data from Eventbrite shows mahjong gatherings increased by 200% from 2023 to 2024.
Murphy and Ellis say the resurgence is not entirely surprising given the game's history. Mahjong originated in China in the 1800s and came to the United States in the early 1920s. The version played at Montana Mahj is known as American Mahjong.
"If you research mahjong in the 1920s in the United States, it was just as crazy as it is now. Everyone was playing," Murphy said.
"Then with the depression, it kind of fell off," Ellis added. "It slowly, during the '50s, '60s and '70s, was building momentum again, but then with COVID, it really took off."
Mahjong is typically played by four people. Players draw and discard tiles while trying to build a winning hand, combining strategy, memory, observation, and luck. Part of the game's appeal, Murphy and Ellis said, is that it is genuinely challenging to learn.
"I always say, it's a hard game to learn. It's not a hard game to play," Murphy said. "There are many rules, it's not intuitive. There are so many things about mahjong that are different from any game anyone's ever played before ... There's over 1,070 ways to win this game."
American mahjong uses a card that lists possible winning combinations. Players can keep the card in front of them throughout the game, and the card changes each year.
"To take one lesson and expect to be able to play it with proficiency and remember all of the rules is almost impossible," Ellis said.
Players at Montana Mahj range from seasoned veterans to complete beginners. Renee Newman is only a few games in.
"I'm still learning. So, I've made lots of mistakes, and these ladies are so lovely and gracious with me," Newman said. "I remember hearing about mahjong when I was little. I lived overseas. The women did it. I never learned, and it's just been gaining in popularity."
Experienced player Janell Berger said the game has a way of pulling people in. She took her first lesson with Murphy and Ellis last year and quickly became hooked.
"Once you play a few times, you start catching on, and it becomes pretty addicting," said Berger.
For Berger, the social aspect has become just as important as the game itself.
“It is just such a great game,” she said. “It’s bringing women together, bringing community together.”
That community is increasingly becoming a reason people are seeking out mahjong. The game requires players to put down their phones and focus on the table in front of them.
"Mahjong is a distraction. It's tactile. You're looking at something and doing something, and so it allows you to form those connections without maybe having to be so in somebody's face," Murphy said.
Many of Montana Mahj’s players come by themselves, Ellis said. They sit down with strangers and, sometimes, leave having made new friends.
"As I was listening to people laugh and have a good time, and yes, it involved the game, but it was really more than that," Ellis said. "And I was kind of proud that we were bringing these people together that didn't know each other to engage in community."
It's an old game creating new connections through something simple: a table, a game, and people who keep showing up.
"We always like to say, there is a seat at the table for everyone," Murphy said. "It doesn't matter who you are, what your background is, there is a seat at the table for you at Montana Mahj, and we look forward to welcoming you to this community and hopefully making it something that you love and enjoy as much as we do."
For more information about Montana Mahj, click here.
