Mahjong Time is by far the biggest online Mahjong community on the Internet today. Launched in 2005 among a struggling industry, Mahjong Time was able to present something few others had – a stable environment, user-friendly interface, global OS compatibility (no download required) and the chance to play for fun or earn real money against live opponents around the world in a tournament setting.

As the years went by, Mahjong Time gained an impressive player base. True, most members of Mahjong Time are in it for the fun of the game, playing the free version of online Mahjong, but the real-money games have drawn a lot of competition, and the numbers continue to grow at a rapid pace.

Mahjong Time offers online Mahjong games in multiple well known variations. These include Mahjong Competition, Hong Kong Mahjong, American Mahjong, Riichi Mahjong, European Classic Mahjong and Taiwanese Mahjong. A video demo, with voice overlay, teaches newbies how to play Mahjong in a realistic environment, easily comparing the game to Gin Rummy, but with tiles instead of cards. There’s also an in-depth written version of the rules of each variant on the web site.

If you’re ready to play online Mahjong for real money, head over to Mahjong Time and register a new player account. You have two choices – sign up for free and play as much as you like, or pay a low monthly $4.99 subscription to grant access to real cash and prize tournaments and earn official player ratings.

The software requires no download, powered entirely by Flash. The only download you may require is the Shockwave Flash player, but most computers come with this already installed. If needed, it will be instantly installed to your computer upon registration.

Mahjong Time is licensed in the United States. By offering its games in a free or subscription based package, the online Mahjong site avoids any potential problems with US online gambling laws. US players are not wagering over the Internet, rather paying $4.99/month for access to online mahjong tournaments where they can win real cash and prizes.

Mahjong Time Games

Mahjong Time features a wide assortment of online Mahjong variations. With basic knowledge of any variant of Mahjong, you should have no trouble finding your favorite version of the game online. Mahjong Time offers the following, with complete rules available on the web site.

Mahjong Competition Rules (CO)
Hong Kong Mahjong Rules (HK)
American Mahjong Rules (AM)
Riichi Mahjong Rules (RCR)
European Classic Mahjong Rules (EC)
Taiwanese Mahjong Rules (TW)

Mahjong Time Promotions

Mahjong Time runs a few promotions consistently, with seasonal promos on occasion. Referring your friends to Mahjong time is worth $100 bonus per friend, with no limit to the amount of successful referral you can have. Mahjong Time also runs a “Best Game of the Month” promotion, where players can submit and comment on Mahjong games, voting for the best game of each month.

Mahjong Time Support

Mahjong time offers professional email and live chat support to its members. Live chat is accessed via the games lobby. However, support is not 24/7. The staff is only available from 7am to 4pm GMT, Monday through Friday.