Balatro gets its PEGI 18+ rating dropped to 12+

Jackpot – not everything is what it seems at first glance! Many might have thought Balatro was just a traditional gambling game for real money, but it turns out it's a regular (well, pretty unique) card game with a teen rating. Why – I explain.

The whole "Balatro is an 18+ gambling game" drama? Yeah, that’s finally over. After an appeal from publisher Sold Out Sales and Marketing, PEGI walked back from its decision and dropped the rating to a much more reasonable 12+. It turns out that just mentioning poker hands in a rogue-like deck-builder doesn’t actually turn people into high-stakes gamblers. Who knew?

If you missed the ridiculousness of the original rating, here’s the deal: PEGI originally gave Balatro an 18+ rating because it thought the game taught gambling skills that could be used in real-life poker. That’s even though Balatro has no real-money betting, no microtransactions, and no way to cash out winnings. It’s a single-player strategy game where you collect jokers and build a deck around different poker hands.

Meanwhile, EA Sports FC 25 – which has actual real-money loot boxes – was sitting pretty with a PEGI 3. Apparently, spending real cash on randomized player packs isn’t as "dangerous" as learning what a full house is.

Naturally, Balatro’s developer, LocalThunk, wasn’t thrilled. Instead of just complaining, though, they pointed out the bigger issue: PEGI’s rating system for gambling elements was totally broken. In response, PEGI now says it will develop a "more granular" system for rating gambling-related themes, instead of just slapping an 18+ on anything remotely related.

Also, on his account in X (formerly Twitter), the developer showcased a Three of a Kind of 18+ editions of Balatro across different platforms, calling them the Limited Edition.

The 18+ label really fits the game and makes it even more intriguing – if you know what I mean – but overall, it’s undeniably a win for Balatro's marketing success, which is already doing pretty well!

LocalThunk called it a win, saying the updated rating is a good step forward and that they hope future indie devs won’t get unfairly punished for including basic card game mechanics. And honestly? It’s about time.

Oh, and there’s more good news for Balatro fans!

As if getting a saner age rating wasn’t enough, Balatro also dropped a brand-new Friends of Jimbo crossover pack. This free update adds new cardbacks inspired by Civilization 7, Fallout, Dead by Daylight, and other big-name games. It’s the latest in a series of crossover packs that keep adding fresh content to the game.

And if you haven’t picked up Balatro yet, it’s now available on Xbox Game Pass – so no excuses.

All in all, it’s been a pretty solid day for Balatro. Less pointless rating drama, more free content, and a whole lot of people realizing that, no, playing a roguelike deck-builder is not going to turn you into a Vegas high roller overnight.