Overview

• YouTube has begun age-restricting videos about Balatro, citing its alleged depiction of gambling under its updated terms of service introduced in March 2025.
• Balatro creator LocalThunk has publicly criticized the platform for mischaracterizing the game, which features poker-themed mechanics but no actual gambling.
• Content creators like Balatro University have reported inconsistent enforcement of the new restrictions, with only a fraction of their videos being flagged.
• Age restrictions significantly limit the visibility of affected videos on YouTube, reducing their reach through the platform's recommendation algorithm.
• This controversy follows Balatro's earlier success in appealing a PEGI 18+ rating, which was reduced to 12+ in February 2025 after similar misclassification concerns.