It's a good day for potential Baltro fans as the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) organization finally realized that no, Balatro shouldn't be classified as PEGI 18. After a lengthy appeals process, Balatro is now rated PEGI 12, meaning that the Joker-filled card game is able to be sold to those aged 12 and above.
The reclassification from PEGI 18 to PEGI 12 follows a successful appeal submitted by Balatro's publisher, Sold Out Sales & Marketing. The Complaints Board that handles these appeals for PEGI says, "although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating."
Likewise, the PEGI 18 rating for Luck Be a Landlord was also lowered to PEGI 12 today for similar reasons. That game, which features a slot machine mechanic, has next to nothing to do with actual gambling. It's a game where you're trying to earn rent money in order to defeat capitalism.
According to PEGI's statement, a game will be automatically classified as PEGI 18 if they include "any teaching or glamorization of simulated gambling." Anybody who has played either Balatro or Luck Be a Landlord can tell you right off the bat that neither game teaches you about real gambling nor do they glamorize real gambling in any capacity.
Balatro was actually pulled from sale in some countries back in March 2024 after the 18+ rating from PEGI. Localthunk shared a brief statement about today's reclassification in a post made to Bluesky, saying:
This is a good step from PEGI - bringing nuance to their ratings criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished
