How to Set Up Online Registration for Mahjong Events

The Short Version

Create your event on Bam Good Time, set the date, capacity, and price, then share the link. Players register and pay in one step — you see RSVPs, waitlist, and payments in real time. No spreadsheets, no chasing texts, no guessing who's coming.

Why Online Registration Matters

If you've ever organized a mahjong game night, you know the drill. You send a group text. A few people respond right away. A few respond the morning of. Two don't respond at all but show up anyway.

It works — until it doesn't.

Once your club grows past a single table, managing RSVPs through texts and spreadsheets gets messy fast. You're tracking who said yes, who paid, who cancelled, and whether you have enough seats — all in your head or a notebook that's never quite current.

Online registration gives every event its own page. Players register themselves. Payments are handled at signup. You see the full picture in real time — who's in, who's waitlisted, who's paid — without sending a single follow-up text.

Step by Step: Setting Up Registration

1. Create Your Event

From your Bam Good Time admin dashboard, create a new event. Fill in the basics:

• Title — "Tuesday Night Mahjong," "Spring Tournament," whatever fits
• Date and time — Start time, end time, time zone
• Location — Address or venue name so players know where to go
• Description — Any details players should know: what to bring, parking info, whether beginners are welcome

This takes about a minute. If you run the same event every week, you can use an event template to skip the setup entirely.

2. Set Your Capacity

Capacity is the maximum number of players your event can hold. Set it based on how many tables and seats you have available — four players per table, so 16 seats means four full tables.

Once your event hits capacity, Bam Good Time automatically activates a waitlist. Additional players can still register, but they'll be placed on the waitlist instead of the main roster. When someone cancels, the next waitlisted player gets bumped up and notified by email — no manual shuffling required.

For a deeper look at how waitlists work, check out our guide on how to manage your mahjong club waitlist.

3. Set Your Price (or Keep It Free)

If your event is free, players RSVP with a single click. Done.

If you charge a per-session fee — $5, $10, $15, whatever your club does — set the price on the event. Once you've connected Stripe, players pay right when they register. The money goes directly to your account. No chasing Venmo requests after the fact.

You can also accept Venmo or cash and track those payments manually in the dashboard. The system is flexible — use whatever payment mix works for your group.

For the full rundown on payment options, see our guide on how to collect payments for mahjong events.

4. Share the Link

Every event gets its own shareable registration page at yourclub.bamgoodtime.com/events/[id]. Copy the link and send it wherever your players are — group text, email, Facebook group, club newsletter.

Players click the link, see the event details, and register. If there's a fee, they pay on the spot. If it's free, they just hit RSVP. They get an email confirmation immediately.

That's the whole flow from the player's side: click, register, done.

5. Manage RSVPs in Real Time

Your admin dashboard shows every registration as it comes in. You can see at a glance:

• Who's registered and who's on the waitlist
• Payment status — paid, unpaid, or pending
• Total headcount vs. capacity
• Cancellations and waitlist movement

No refreshing a spreadsheet. No cross-referencing texts with a payment app. It's all in one place, updated in real time.

You can manage this from the web, or from the Bam Good Time app on iOS or Mac — whatever you have handy.

6. Add Walk-ins and Late Additions

Sometimes a player shows up who didn't register online. You can add participants manually from the admin dashboard — search your contacts or add them on the spot. This keeps your headcount accurate whether someone registered online or walked in the door.

7. Check Players In on Day Of

When game day arrives, use the built-in check-in system to mark players as arrived. This gives you a clear picture of who's actually at the table versus who registered but didn't show — useful information for planning future events and managing your waitlist.

Check-in works from any device, so you can hand your phone to a volunteer at the door if you're busy setting up tables.

Tips for Smooth Registration

Open registration early. Give players at least a few days to sign up. Sending the link a week out with a reminder the day before tends to work well.

Be clear about cancellation. Let players know they can cancel from their registration page. When they do, the waitlist handles the rest automatically.

Use event descriptions wisely. Include parking instructions, what to bring, and whether the event is beginner-friendly. The fewer questions you get in the group chat, the better.

Track your patterns. Over time, you'll see which events fill up fast and which need more promotion. Use that data to make better decisions about scheduling, capacity, and pricing.

Combine with series or punch cards. For regular weekly games, consider a multi-session package or punch card so regulars can prepay. It simplifies payment tracking and encourages commitment.

Stop Chasing RSVPs

The best part of online registration isn't the technology — it's the time you get back. Instead of sending follow-up texts and tallying responses in a notebook, you create the event, share the link, and let the system do the rest.

You spend less time organizing and more time doing what you started the club to do in the first place: playing mahjong with people you enjoy.

Create your free club on Bam Good Time and set up your first event today.