PEGI Lowers Balatro's Age Rating to 12+ and Plans New Guidelines for Gambling Themes

Following successful appeals, PEGI reclassifies Balatro and Luck Be A Landlord and commits to revising its gambling-related ratings criteria.

Balatro's PEGI rating has been reduced from 18+ to 12+ after an appeal highlighted its fantastical, non-gambling gameplay elements.
Luck Be A Landlord, a slot machine-themed roguelike, also had its rating reduced to 12+ due to the absence of transferable gambling skills.
PEGI plans to develop more nuanced classification guidelines to better differentiate between games with gambling imagery and actual gambling simulations.
The original 18+ rating for Balatro caused temporary removal from digital storefronts, impacting sales and accessibility for younger audiences.
Developers and publishers, including Balatro's creator LocalThunk, welcomed the changes, emphasizing the importance of fair and consistent ratings.