After junking Balatro's 18 rating, PEGI will develop a more granular rating system for gambling themes
1 min read
Summary
The Pan European Games Information (PEGI) board has reversed its decision to classify the card game Balatro, and slot machine format game Luck Be A Landlord, as 18 certificates owing to their “simulation of gambling”
The decision followed an appeal by the games’ publishers, Sold Out and Fangamer, who will also develop a more detailed set of criteria for assessing games that reference gambling.
While both games had included mechanisms reminiscent of gambling, such as poker styles and a slot machine format, they did not involve wagering actual money.
The reversal reflects a desire by PEGI to adopt a more nuanced approach to ratings in future, taking into account factors such as “glamorisation” and “teaching” in relation to gambling, and differentiating these from simulations of actual gambling activities.
PEGI will continue to an 18 rating for games that simulate gambling “typically played in casinos and betting halls”.
