What is the National Mah Jongg League?

The National Mah Jongg League was founded in 1937 by a group of Mah Jongg enthusiasts in New York City. Their goal was to standardize the American version so that all games follow the same set of rules. Standardization was necessary, as many variations of the American version were in circulation since the introduction of Mah Jongg into the US, and there was a great deal of confusion when players from different regions got together. Each year the League publishes a new Standard Hands and Rules Card, a new set of valid Mah Jongg hands, which adds additional excitement to the game. It answers questions from its members and arbitrates disputes relating to individual games. A proportion of the League's profits from card sales is donated to charitable organizations.