Mahjong_school
Mahjong school
Venue in Hong Kong where adults can play mahjong
A mahjong school is a licensed venue in Hong Kong where people over the age of 18 can play mahjong.
Since 1871 privately run gambling businesses have been banned in Hong Kong; however mahjong-hosting venues have been tolerated by the Hong Kong government. After World War II the government has required such venues to obtain Mahjong/Tin Kau Licences with the constraint that such businesses must be known, in Legal English, as Mahjong Schools - a white lie to get around the ban on privately run gambling businesses. Although technically "schools", these Mahjong/Tin Kau Licences are issued by Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority.
As of 2009 there are licensed mahjong schools in Hong Kong, mostly in densely populated areas such as Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Wan Chai and Sham Shui Po.