I agree with @localthunk.bsky.social. Rating Balatro as an 18+ game is as unserious as it is hypocritical, and how we use ratings and regulations to safeguard children often makes no sense. My latest at @crossplayblog.bsky.social: patrickklepek.substack.com/p/is-balatro... - ThreadSky

patrickklepek.bsky.social • 168 days ago

I agree with @localthunk.bsky.social. Rating Balatro as an 18+ game is as unserious as it is hypocritical, and how we use ratings and regulations to safeguard children often makes no sense. My latest at @crossplayblog.bsky.social: https://patrickklepek.substack.com/p/is-balatro-dangerous-for-kids

Comments

scottjohnson.zip•168 days ago

It feels like my mother-in-law rated it.

metacrab.org•168 days ago

ESRB E10+ for Gambling Themes (as mentioned in article) makes a lot more sense, if the goal is to correctly warn against this for parents

dustinpeerce.bsky.social•168 days ago

Thank you. The special treatment given to these slot machines in disguise is an important topic.

abbylark.bsky.social•168 days ago

That's so fucking stupid in a day and age when people make crazy money gambling in front of children on streams

guomubai.bsky.social•168 days ago

18+ Rating???? My kids and I had "Balatro night" yesterday as we all played the same seed. It was so fun! My kids had a great time!

mattmiller.bsky.social•168 days ago

📌

jneen.ca•168 days ago

when i was in college we ran a little smash melee tournament - it was like $5 entry with reasonable prizes for 1st / 2nd / 3rd. we got shut down for "gambling"

jneen.ca•168 days ago

the university would *not* hear that it was clearly a test of skill

nickostrem.swifties.social•168 days ago

It’s the gambling version of “we have to put cops in schools to prevent school shootings.” Society has decided that guns/gambling are cool and good and we should have lots more so we’re never going to actually fix the problem, but we have to look like we’re taking it serious because kids are dying.

taw.moe•168 days ago

it's so absurd...

https://bsky.app/profile/taw.moe/post/3ldmeqh3ffc27

ogto.bsky.social•168 days ago

if you think about this problem for more than 10 seconds it becomes INFURIATING. this seems like it should be a pretty easy thing to figure out, balatro =/= gambling, and yet they still manage to fuck that up. when you add how the other toxic games skirt by, it's fucking outrageous.

professortrs.bsky.social•168 days ago

Great article!

aruesmyth.bsky.social•168 days ago

Me letting my daughter open the Pokemon pocket pack.

Ruining her life, hooking her onto the gamble gene, cap.

Kids shouldn't do lucky dips?

spaceprez.bsky.social•168 days ago

The ESRB and PEGI are both absolute jokes, created to "self regulate" before serious government agencies stepped in. Do they have any accountability whatsoever?

alexrosegames.bsky.social•167 days ago

the prices they charge are absurd too, especially per platform. so glad iarc exists now

booleanunion.bsky.social•168 days ago

I grew up watching Kano rip people's hearts straight out of their chests... and I turned out JUST FINE!

chicocartera.bsky.social•167 days ago

📌

mindlessgonzo.bsky.social•168 days ago

I have Y2K-era games with (simulated) gambling in them. All rated E. That's a PEGI 7 in their system. If they're trying to stop kids from becoming gambling addicts, they're way too late and are still mentally in 1999 with their scapegoating.

robofthesky.bsky.social•168 days ago

Do they ban minors from buying playing cards over there? A lot of playing card packs include rules for poker and such.

nefcanuck.bsky.social•168 days ago

Considering how gambling is being pushed during TV hours where under 18’s are definitely likely watching (hello NFL/NBA/NASCAR) this is a bananas decision.

Besides which the “gambling” in Balatro is literally random chance about what cards might come up 🤷‍♂️

grimwit.bsky.social•168 days ago

You know, I've always thought Chutes and Ladders should be an 18+ game. It uses two dice, which can be used to play Craps.

Candy Land is a well known Race Betting game.

Toy cars have wheels. Roulette have wheels. 🤔Hmmm...

tarasophie.dev•168 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/taw.moe/post/3ldmc5sj6dc27

alexbelmont.bsky.social•168 days ago

📌

rclarke.bsky.social•168 days ago

PEGI are actively harmful to the industry at this point. Age ratings should only ever be a rubber stamp, they're just a bit of theatre to keep politicians happy anyway. Content warnings are more practically useful.

vengefulmeme.bsky.social•168 days ago

It's especially unserious considering that EA FC 25, a game with actual gambling in it in the form of randomized loot boxes purchased with real money, is rated PEGI 3+.

thunderbutt.bsky.social•168 days ago

Okay, so do we also rate televised sports 18+ because every second ad is for a sports betting site/app?

daiz.moe•168 days ago

Unironically yes. They can take the gambling ads out if they want a rating any lower.

crystal.envt.gay•168 days ago

Unironically, yes

notjus.bsky.social•168 days ago

If they choose to run and plaster these ads, yes.

patrickklepek.bsky.social•168 days ago

I mean, if you're saying there should be more regulation about how it's pushed, yes

thunderbutt.bsky.social•168 days ago

Yeah, the double standard applied to games (and even within the games space, see: Roblox, etc.) is just stupid

invaderler.bsky.social•168 days ago

since sports betting apps are plastered on most signs and stands during the games themselves, i dont see why not. gambling is becoming normalized again by these apps and sites

renee-draws.bsky.social•168 days ago

Gambling ads shouldn't be allowed on tv at all

geebsy.bsky.social•167 days ago

Or if they must, post watershed - after 9pm, though I’d much rather never see a gambling advert in my life

thunderbutt.bsky.social•168 days ago

My thoughts exactly

renee-draws.bsky.social•168 days ago

Until a couple of years ago we had a ban on gambling ads in my country that got lifted and I've been flooded with gambling ads since. Sometimes entire ad blocks on Youtube are for sports betting back-to-back.

thunderbutt.bsky.social•168 days ago

I basically did not watch sports for a few years and when I recently started watching again, I was shocked, tbh. I can't believe we don't allow ads for stuff like cigarettes, but somehow this is okay...

renee-draws.bsky.social•168 days ago

I don't even watch sports and I still get those ads :/

renee-draws.bsky.social•168 days ago

If they wanna keep the ads, sure, turn it into a 18+ space.