The PEGI board has now decided to change its initial decision regarding the rating of Balatro, moving it from a PEGI 18 to a more lenient PEGI 12. This is surprising because the game carries an E10+ rating in North America, which seems inconsistent with its original European PEGI 18 classification.
According to a recent announcement on the PEGI website, Sold Out Sales & Marketing, Balatro’s European publisher, managed to overturn the initial PEGI 18 rating. The PEGI board had initially assigned this rating because of the game’s explanations of different poker hands. However, the game’s more mythical components lessened the perceived gambling elements, which ultimately led to a reduction in the rating, now set at PEGI 12.
In the game “Luck Be A Landlord,” previously rated PEGI 18, has now been reclassified as PEGI 12. This game involves players trying to pay their rent with a customizable slot machine and shares some roguelike gameplay aspects as Balatro. Since there were no gambling skills in the game that could be applied to real-life situations, it received its lowered rating classification.
Yet, the board declared that any educational or sensational depiction of simulated gambling continues to warrant a PEGI 18 classification.
According to their explanation, the PEGI Experts Group plans to create a more detailed set of rating standards specifically for games containing gambling elements, such as simulation, instruction, or glamorization. These new standards will apply to both younger (12+) and older (18+) age categories, with the latter still reserved for casino-style gambling games.
Developer LocalThunk expressed that there’s no issue with the rating of Balatro itself, yet they raised a concern. They mentioned that titles such as EA Sports FC incorporate microtransactions and loot boxes even though they are categorized under PEGI 3+, which stands for “suitable for all ages.
2024 saw me immersed in one of TopMob’s standout games – Balatro. This game has been showered with accolades, gracing stages at prestigious events like the 2025 DICE Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, New York Game Awards, and The Game Awards 2024.
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2025-02-24 20:39