Balatro, a 2024 Game of the Year nominee and popular roguelike deck-building game, is facing visibility issues after YouTube began tagging many of its gameplay videos as age-restricted. The platform has allegedly categorized the game content as gambling-related, despite the game not involving any real-money gambling elements.
The controversy came to light through Balatro University, a YouTube channel dedicated to the game. The channel revealed that YouTube age-restricted 119 of its 606 uploaded videos and denied 24 out of 30 appeals. This sudden enforcement has led to a decline in visibility and reach for content creators focused on Balatro.
The issue appears tied to YouTube’s updated community guidelines, which took effect on March 19, 2025. These guidelines introduced stricter age restrictions for content that promotes or depicts online casino games or gambling apps. Unfortunately, the algorithm flagged Balatro, even though it’s a strategy-based roguelike with poker-inspired mechanics and no real-money features.
LocalThunk, the solo developer behind Balatro, expressed frustration over the situation on social media. In a sarcastic post, he pointed out the irony that YouTube was restricting poker-style strategy gameplay while continuing to allow videos of Counter-Strike loot box openings, which arguably resemble real gambling more closely.
This isn’t the first ratings-related issue for Balatro. The game previously received a PEGI 18 rating, which temporarily led to its removal in certain regions. However, after the developer appealed, PEGI lowered the classification to PEGI 12.
Balatro remains widely accessible across platforms, including Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Despite the controversy, the game continues to maintain a strong fan base.
