Balatro's Confusing Rating Finally Changed, Leads To Europe Changing How It Rates Gambling Games

The PEGI board has announced that it has reversed its decision to classify Balatro with a PEGI 18 rating and will instead have a PEGI 12 rating. The game has a E10+ rating in North America, making its original PEGI 18 classification in Europe strange.As revealed in an update on the PEGI website, Balatro's European publisher, Sold Out Sales & Marketing, successfully appealed the PEGI 18 classification. While the board originally classified the game as PEGI 18 due to explaining various poker hands, the more fantastical elements mitigated the "gambling" aspects and brought the rating down to PEGI 12.Another game, Luck Be A Landlord, also got its PEGI 18 rating reduced to PEGI 12. In this game, players can attempt to pay their rent by using a customizable slot machine and has similar roguelike gameplay elements as Balatro. Since Luck Be A Landlord had no specific gambling skills that could be transferred to the real world, the game was able to achieve its new rating classification.Continue Reading at GameSpot

Feb 24, 2025 - 17:59

Balatro's Confusing Rating Finally Changed, Leads To Europe Changing How It Rates Gambling Games

The PEGI board has announced that it has reversed its decision to classify Balatro with a PEGI 18 rating and will instead have a PEGI 12 rating. The game has a E10+ rating in North America, making its original PEGI 18 classification in Europe strange.

As revealed in an update on the PEGI website, Balatro's European publisher, Sold Out Sales & Marketing, successfully appealed the PEGI 18 classification. While the board originally classified the game as PEGI 18 due to explaining various poker hands, the more fantastical elements mitigated the "gambling" aspects and brought the rating down to PEGI 12.

Another game, Luck Be A Landlord, also got its PEGI 18 rating reduced to PEGI 12. In this game, players can attempt to pay their rent by using a customizable slot machine and has similar roguelike gameplay elements as Balatro. Since Luck Be A Landlord had no specific gambling skills that could be transferred to the real world, the game was able to achieve its new rating classification.Continue Reading at GameSpot