Benjamin is an avid mahjong player and the only Western player to place in the top three in two different international mahjong championships, the 2007 Open European Mahjong Championship and the Inaugural European Riichi (Japanese) Mahjong Championship in 2008.

As a consultant, Benjamin helped the European Mahjong League write their tournament rules and officiated one of their championships. Created the rule set for an online Mahjong website that has been in operation since 2009, with thorough rules that deal with all edge-cases. He also wrote a number of articles for publications including Metropolis magazine that deal with gambling culture as well as the debate around the legality of casinos in Japan.

As a researcher at Osaka University of Commerce’s Institute for Amusement Industry Studies, (Japan's only gaming-focused think tank) Benjamin worked on topics ranging from the legality of the pachinko industry, to the social history of Japanese mahjong, and presented his research to interested parties from both the public and private sectors.

Whether it’s for a tournament, online gambling site, or a strategy guide, Benjamin can help you get the rules right for your Mahjong project.

An established author and published researcher, Benjamin takes pride in his ability to write engaging and fact-based opinion pieces. Previous publications include Metropolis and The Japan Times.

Are you trying to find out whats trending in Japan’s gambling scene? Let Benjamin guide you with his advisory service.

Since sitting down for his first game, Benjamin has been fascinated with mahjong’s mechanics and rules. Within three years of learning the game, he took third at the Open European Mahjong Championship and the following year placing in the top three again at the Inaugural European Riichi (Japanese) Mahjong Championship in 2008. He traveled across the world from China to Denmark competing against the global community’s best players.

From 2008 to 2011 Benjamin was a gaming researcher at the Osaka University of Commerce where his understanding grew beyond the game itself to larger trends in the gambling industry. Based on his research, he wrote a number of articles in Metropolis and The Japan Times about his findings.

Since he began this journey, Benjamin has met mahjong legends such as Sakurai Shoichi, Ichiro Tanioka, Kojima Takeo, Fukumoto Nobuyuki, Cho U, Takeo Shinji and others. These masterful players have been outstanding mentors that have helped Benjamin learn the nuances of mahjong. He continues to stay in touch with his network of friends and always enjoys a regular game at his local parlor.