Terms of Service

Mahjong Alley · Effective date: August 27, 2026

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old and located in the United States to use the App. By using the App, you represent that you meet these requirements. The App is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly permit anyone under 13 to use it.

2. Your account

You can use the App as a guest or create a persistent account by signing in with Apple. You are responsible for activity that occurs through your account and for keeping your device secure. You may delete your account at any time from within the App.

3. License

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to download and use the App on a device you own or control, for your personal, non-commercial entertainment. This license is subject to the Usage Rules of the App Store, which are incorporated by reference (see Section 15).

4. Acceptable use and community conduct

The App includes features that let you choose a display name and handle, name a table, send reactions, and play with others. To keep the App a welcoming place, you agree that you will not:

• choose a display name, handle, or table name that is obscene, hateful, harassing, threatening, sexually explicit, impersonating, or otherwise offensive;
• harass, threaten, abuse, or harm another player;
• use the App for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms;
• attempt to cheat, disrupt gameplay, or interfere with the App’s operation, security, or fair play;
• attempt to access another user’s account or data;
• reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the App, except to the extent this restriction is prohibited by law; or
• use automated means to access the App or collect information from it.

We may filter, reject, or change names that violate these rules, and we may remove content, suspend, or terminate accounts that violate them.

Reporting and blocking

You can block another player and report a player for an inappropriate name or for their conduct, using the controls in the App. Reports go to our team for review. We do not tolerate content that sexually exploits or endangers anyone, harassment, or hate. We may act on reports at our discretion, including by warning, filtering, suspending, or terminating an account.

We are not obligated to monitor content, and we are not responsible for content created by users. To report a concern you cannot resolve with the in-App tools, contact us at hey@mahjongalley.com.

5. User content

You are responsible for the names and other content you create in the App. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, display, and use that content as needed to operate the App (for example, showing your display name to other players at your table). This license ends when the content is deleted, except for content retained in shared multiplayer records or as otherwise described in our Privacy Policy, and except for backups and records we are required or permitted to keep.

6. Our intellectual property

The App, including its software, game engine, artwork, tile designs, characters, audio, text, and the selection and arrangement of its content, is owned by Elevate Games or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. Except for the license granted to you in Section 3, we reserve all rights. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from any part of the App without our permission.

The Mahjong Alley name and logo are our marks. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners.

7. Gameplay, purchases, and fees

The App is currently free to use. If we introduce paid features, in-app purchases, or advertising in the future, we will describe the applicable terms at that time. Any purchases you make through the App are processed by Apple and subject to Apple’s terms.

8. Availability and changes

We may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the App at any time, including features and availability. We may also update the App, and continued use after an update means you accept the updated App. We are not liable to you for changes to or discontinuation of the App.

9. Termination

You may stop using the App and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access to the App at any time, with or without notice, if you violate these Terms or if we reasonably believe your use creates risk or legal exposure for us or others, or harms other users. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including Sections 5 through 14.

10. Disclaimers

THE APP IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE APP WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

11. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ELEVATE GAMES AND ITS OWNERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE APP, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE APP WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM OR ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Elevate Games and its owners, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your misuse of the App, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to Section 14, you agree that any dispute not subject to arbitration will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts.

14. Dispute resolution; arbitration; class-action waiver

Please read this section carefully. It affects your legal rights.

Most concerns can be resolved quickly by contacting us at hey@mahjongalley.com, and you agree to contact us first and attempt to resolve any dispute informally before starting a formal proceeding.

Binding arbitration. If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you and Elevate Games agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to the App or these Terms will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration provider under its consumer arbitration rules, rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court. The arbitration will take place in Maricopa County, Arizona, or, at your election, by phone, video, or written submissions. This agreement to arbitrate is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act.

Class-action waiver. You and Elevate Games agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims or preside over any form of class proceeding.

Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing hey@mahjongalley.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, stating your intent to opt out. If you opt out, the governing-law and venue provisions in Section 13 apply to your disputes.

If the class-action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim will proceed in court, but the rest of this Section will remain in effect.

15. Apple and the App Store

The following apply because you obtained the App through the Apple App Store:

• These Terms are between you and Elevate Games only, not with Apple. Apple is not responsible for the App or its content.
• Your license to use the App is limited to use on Apple-branded devices that you own or control, as permitted by the App Store Usage Rules.
• Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the App.
• To the extent permitted by law, Apple has no warranty obligation for the App, and any claims relating to the App’s failure to conform to warranty are our responsibility, not Apple’s.
• Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims by you or a third party relating to the App, including product-liability claims, claims that the App fails to conform to a legal requirement, and claims under consumer-protection law.
• If a third party claims the App infringes their intellectual property, we, not Apple, are responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement, and discharge of that claim to the extent required by these Terms.
• You represent that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated as a “terrorist supporting” country, and that you are not on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
• Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms, and upon your acceptance, Apple has the right (and is deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these Terms against you as a third-party beneficiary.

16. Miscellaneous

These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Elevate Games regarding the App. If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. We may update these Terms, and if we make material changes we will provide notice through the App; continued use after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

17. Independence

Mahjong Alley is an independent app. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Mah Jongg League. “National Mah Jongg League” and “NMJL” are trademarks of their respective owner, used here only to describe the game and the official card the game is played with.

Playing at a real table requires your own official card, which you can buy from the League. The App is a companion to that card, not a substitute for it.

18. Contact

mahjongalley.com · Support · Privacy Policy