Balatro was one of 2024’s breakout hits, made on a small budget but winning Best Indie Game at the Golden Joysticks and Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards.
Its creator argued that the age rating rules it faced were not consistent or fair and called out PEGI’s policies around loot boxes.
These lucky-dip style items contain new outfits, power-ups or other bonuses and can be bought with real money.
Critics argue that they amount to a form of gambling because players don’t know what’s inside when they buy them.
In 2018, Belgium banned loot boxes on the basis that they violated the country’s gambling laws but they don’t currently affect a game’s PEGI age rating.
One of the world’s most popular video games, EA FC, a title specifically called out by LocalThunk, is rated 3+.
It is often mentioned in discussions about loot boxes because of its popular Ultimate Team mode, which involves buying packs of virtual trading cards.
Some disagree that it counts as gambling because it’s not possible to “cash out” or win money back from the game.
