Everyone on LBI is doing it. In restaurants and at boutiques, with friends and with strangers, there’s an unexpected force drawing people together: the traditional tile game of mah jongg. Players are seeking more than just skilled competition; they’re searching for a sense of togetherness.

The traditional Chinese game, which was first introduced in the U.S. in the 1920s, has seen a huge surge in popularity nationwide in the past year; Yelp’s 2026 trend forecast reported searches for mah jongg…