YouTube is conducting a 'platform-wide review' after mistakenly hitting Balatro videos with an age restriction for gambling content
YouTube is conducting a "platform-wide review" of videos and channels on its platform to ensure age restrictions are being properly applied—and, for the record, says Balatro gameplay videos should not be rated 18+ unless they actually violate its gambling policy or other community guidelines.
The problem came up over the weekend when Balatro creator LocalThunk took to social media to say that Balatro videos "are being rated 18+ on YouTube now for gambling."
"Good thing we are protecting children from knowing what a 4 of a kind is and letting them watch CS case opening videos instead," LocalThunk wrote. And, hey, fair point: Videos of CS2 case openings, which have well-documented connections to actual gambling, are hardly in short supply on YouTube.
As silly as it is, it's also a genuine headache for YouTubers: Having an age restriction applied to a video limits who can see it (and thus who it can be recommended to via YouTube's algorithm) and can also impact monetization, as some advertisers won't allow their ads to run on age-restricted videos.
Ah, but it was all a mistake. "TY for flagging!" the TeamYouTube account posted on X in response to LocalThunk's message. "Videos featuring Balatro gameplay should not be age-restricted. We're reviewing the age-restrictions on these videos and conducting a platform-wide review. Thanks for your patience as we fix!"
A YouTube spokesperson confirmed the response was legitimate in a statement sent to PC Gamer: "Videos featuring Balatro gameplay should not be age-restricted. We're fixing the issue and conducting a platform-wide review."
YouTube suggested that Balatro fell victim to the recent changes to YouTube's policies on gambling-related content and how those policies are enforced, saying it welcomes feedback on its enforcement policies as it continues to fine-tune how they're applied. It also encouraged other content creators who are hit with an inappropriate age rating to file an appeal.
Those of you who've been following along will know that this isn't the first age-rating-gone-wrong rodeo for Balatro, a game that makes some superficial use of poker mechanics but is free from any in-game spending or external purchases.
In December 2024, PEGI—the Pan-European Gaming Information rating system—rated Balatro 18+, saying it teaches "knowledge and skill [that] could be transferred to a real-life game of poker." That rating was eventually walked back too, although it took a couple months to get that one cleared up.
Best cozy games: Relaxed gaming
Best anime games: Animation-inspired
Best JRPGs: Classics and beyond
Best cyberpunk games: Techno futures
Best gacha games: Freemium fanatics